Memories of the Straw Hat
by SpecterOfFire
Summary: The crew docked on an uninhabited paradisiacal island. It didn't take them long to realize they weren't alone, however. Now they need to come to the aid of their captain who has been carrying a severe pain ever since the events of Marineford more than two years ago. Can they save him from this new threat they encounter - as well as from himself?
1. Memoria Insula

**Hey everyone - hope you're all doing well. This is a fic that I recently started working (in addition to my Fairy Tail fic as well as one more crossover that I'm working on). It's a memory fic - drawing inspiration from one of my favorite stories on this site, Warm Memories and Brotherly Bonds by RoseDragonWitch. Hope you all enjoy it.**

-o-

The Straw Hat Pirates finally made landfall on the next course of their journey within the New World.

Monkey D. Luffy was the first to erupt from the Thousand Sunny. As always, he had a massive grin on his face. He took in the surroundings and quickly urged the rest of his crew to follow. Decked out in the straw hat he received from "Red-Haired" Shanks (the one thing he hardly ever let go of) that covered his jet black hair, his trademark red vest - which was left open and showed the slightly red "X" shaped scar on his chest; the scar that he would remain for the rest of his life as a mental and physical reminder of why he needed to be separated from his crew for two years, blue shorts with cuffs, and a newly added yellow sash around his waist, he excitedly began to look around for anything that was edible - or at least somewhat edible.

Following him was Roronoa Zoro, who was surprisingly awake. Or at least, he had just woken up - evidenced by the fact that he let out an audible yawn as he jumped onto the sandy beach and took in his surroundings carefully. His light green hair was cut short and a scar ran vertically through his left eye, which was always shut now. A scar that was given to him two years ago was visible and stitched up, a reminder of the first time he experienced a significant defeat in years. He wore a green striped haramaki as well as dark green robes. He had a black bandana tied to his upper left arm - the bandana he would tie around his head whenever things got really serious. On his right side, he carried three swords - indicative of his three sword style, Santoryu. One was the Wado Ichimonji, a legendary sword and one that held great personal importance to him; one was Shusui, a sword belonging to a legendary samurai from Wano Country; and Sandai Kitetsu, another legendary sword that he had received as a gift from an excursion the Pirates made to Loguetown a couple of years ago.

Sanji, or "Black Leg" Sanji as he was known by the marines, followed Zoro. As always, he was smoking. Like Luffy, he was looking around the island for what was edible. He took great pride in his culinary abilities (in fact, he was named the best cook in all of East Blue a couple of years ago as a part of a competition he took place in in Loguetown). His blond hair fell over his right eye, leaving only his left eye and swirly eyebrow unobscured. He wore a gray dress shirt, over which he had on a light blue skinny tie. Topping it all off, he wore a black overcoat with six gold buttons that went down each side and black slacks.

Franky the Cyborg was next to follow. Franky underwent drastic changes during the two years he was separated from the rest of the crew, adding several super weapons to the already extensive armory known as his body. Using blueprints from the legendary scientist, Dr. Vegapunk, Franky was able to make his hair configurable with multiple styles; his shoulders, arms, and torso were much larger than before as well. In his huge arms, he had another set of smaller, robotic sized hands that could be used for eating and drinking. On his shoulders were red balls with BF-37 written on them. He was wearing a red coconut tree Hawaiian shirt as well as red swim briefs. He opted to go for his pompadour hairstyle that he always wore before the two-year period in which he was separated from the rest of the crew.

The adorable reindeer and youngest member of the group, Tony Tony Chopper, was next to follow. Mistaken for the crews pet, Chopper is the doctor of the crew and undoubtedly one of the most intelligent members - on par with Nico Robin. A reindeer that ate the Human-Human Fruit, he could now easily converse with other humans. He was wearing a large blue cap that had white ovals around a white ring, inside which was a red circle with a white "X", which he wore over his previous pink hat. He wore a white and yellow vertical striped tank top as well as orange shorts. He was happily exploring the island as well.

Nico Robin was next to follow. Beautiful before the two-year period in which she was separated from her crew, she had blossomed even further. Her dark hair went down to her lower back and was pulled back, revealing her face in full force as opposed to the bangs she usually wore. She wore a pink sari-like skirt that was tied on her right side, as well as a short blue leather vest that exposed her stomach as well as a decent amount of cleavage. She wore a purple backpack around her left arm and her orange sunglasses rested atop her forehead as she took in the sun of the island they were on.

Nami jumped down after Robin. Her fierce orange eyes surveyed the island intently, but she wore a soft smile - happy that they were on a peaceful, tropical paradise as opposed to the hellish landscape of Punk Hazard. Her beautiful, flowing orange hair went down her back as she wore an orange bra and tight low-rider jeans that exposed her hips. The New World Log Pose was on her left wrist, as well as the tattoo she had gotten a couple of years ago.

Brook, resident musician, was the eighth man off the ship. As always, he was impeccably dressed - even more so than Sanji. He wore heart-shaped sunglasses, a yellow feather boa, a top hat with a large crown, orange flowered pants, a black overcoat under which was his skeletal figure - and to top it all off, a beautiful light blue bow that fell to his chest. In his hand was his trusty cane sword - the one that earned him the nickname the "Humming Swordsman" (although, most recently he went by "Soul King" Brook).

Last but not least was Usopp, the sniper of the Straw Hats - following in the footsteps of his father, Yasopp (another celebrated sniper who was a crew member with the Red Hair Pirates). He became much more muscular during the two years he was separated from his crew (impressive, considering the weight he gained immediately after the separation). He wore goggles around his neck, as well as earmuffs. He had a soul patch as well as fluffy black hair jutting out from the back. He wore red suspenders and yellow pants and carried a large green slingshot.

Finally, with the Thousand Sunny safely docked, the crew began to enjoy themselves on the beach - although, none more than Luffy.

"TROPICAL PARADISE!" Luffy yelled as he excitedly raised his arms to the sky, happy that they came across their second island in the new world.

"I must say, it is nice to be able to relax a bit - especially after Fishman Island and Punk Hazard," Robin commented as she sat down on the warm sand next to Nami. Sanji, as always, weighted on them hand and foot while Zoro, of course, went sleep near under a palm tree. Brook obliged his team by playing them Binks Sake, which was still his favorite song - while Franky continued to dazzle Chopper and Usopp with his transformations.

"I'm gonna go find some meat. MEAT. MEAT. MEAT!" Luffy chanted as he ran off to the heart of the island.

"Our idiot captain is going to get lost," Sanji sighed as he gave some lemonade to Nami, who closed her eyes and relaxed.

"Don't worry about it. This island isn't that large, and our log pose should reset soon. I'm sure we can find him quickly if we really need to. For now, I just want to relax," Nami said, content.

"Do you know the island we're on, Nami?" Robin asked, interested as she looked around.

"Mmm?" Nope. I asked Tashigi, but she said that she hasn't heard about it," Nami said, still smiling.

"Interesting. I would think that the Marines know most of the islands in the New World. I'm going to go have a look around," Robin said as she got up. She was interested in seeing if there were any important historical sights to see on the island - even more so if it hadn't been touched or even noted by other Marines or pirates.

"Shall I accompany you, Robin?" Sanji asked with hearts in his eyes.

"I'll be fine, but thank you," Robin said, flashing him a sweet smile. It was too much for Sanji, who fainted. Zoro opened his eye slightly and snickered at the sight of his friend and rival - he was always weak around women.

-o-

Elsewhere on the island, Luffy was having no luck in finding meat. He found plenty of mushrooms, plants, and fruits - but nothing to sate the carnivorous side of him. As he looked around, he climbed higher and higher the middle of the mountain, which rose a good distance. He quickly reached the top and surveyed his location, hoping to find some evidence of meat - alas, there was none - only some dumb old ruins in the distance. Sighing heavily, he began to descend down - by taking a jump. He landed right in front of Robin, who was making her way through the foliage.

"Hey, Robin!" Luffy greeted his companion.

"Hello, Luffy. Find what you were looking for?" Robin asked.

"Nope. No meat," Luffy replied, deadpan. Robin smiled as she continued her trek, Luffy in tow.

"What're you looking for?" Luffy asked.

"Nami said that the Marines were unaware of this island. I was hoping to find something interesting," Robin said.

"Oh. Like those old ruins?" Luffy said offhandedly. This caused Robin to stop dead in her tracks. She slowly rounded on him, giving him a surprised look.

"What's wrong? Are you ok?" Luffy asked.

"You said old ruins?" Robin asked, making sure she heard correctly.

"Yup," Luffy said.

"Could you show me?" Robin asked. Luffy shrugged but nodded and began leading her east. They continued going through the heavy foliage - which was unrelenting. After a long walk, they finally found them. Robin's eyes widened in surprise as she saw what appeared to be a stone doorway leading into the long-abandoned ruins. Luffy followed, slightly interested as well - although, only for the adventure aspect.

"Cool," he whispered as Robin led him through. She examined the architecture of the building. It was fairly simple - a large, cube-like building with a single entrance and a cavernous interior. As they approached the middle, they saw a large ring surrounding the room. There were runes and words around the ring, which Robin began to read. Luffy looked on in interest.

"You can read that, Robin?" he asked quizzically.

"Sort of. It seems to be a warning," Robin said, although she wasn't in the slightest perturbed - plenty of old ruins like this had their warnings and stop signs.

"What does it say?" Luffy asked excitedly.

"I can only make out some of the words. These words mean 'hell', 'memory', 'endure', 'share', 'emotion', and 'monster,'," Robin said as she pointed to several words that were written on the ground. The others, she couldn't make out very well.

"AWESOME. WHAT DOES THAT MEAN THOUGH?!" Luffy asked excitedly. Monster meant ass kicking which meant a roaring fire which meant meat - or so the train of thought went through Luffy's mind.

"I'm not sure. I assume it has something to do with a monster forcing people to share and endure memories - in a hellish way, perhaps," Robin said. She looked around and found another door that seemed to lead into another room in the building. She tried to open it, but it wouldn't budge. She tried some of her powers on it, but nothing.

"Let me try," Luffy said as he gave the door a punishing punch. To his and Robin's shock, however, the only that hurt was Luffy's hand.

"OWOWOWOWOWOW!" Luffy hollered in pain as he held his now throbbing right hand.

"That hurt?" Robin asked, surprised.

"Yeah! I don't get it! This door is tough!" Luffy stated. They continued their attempts to open it, but it was futile - it hadn't even budged an inch. Robin sighed.

"It's getting late out. We'll come back in the morning with the others. Maybe if we combine our efforts, we can get something done," Robin said.

"If you say so," Luffy said, although Robin could tell he didn't really care. She heard his stomach growl, so only one thing was on his mind. They left the ruins, with Robin giving it one last glance. As they crossed the threshold, she felt something unpleasant in her stomach - nervousness.

-o-

 _The door softly rumbled open. A black, slimy substance slithered out. It morphed into a long, black snake and began to lick the air around it. It hissed in pleasure as it tasted the pain of the man the visited its home. It began to slither out and towards the camp of the Pirates._

-o-

 _Unbeknownst to the Straw Hats, they weren't the only presence on this island. As the slimy snake made its move, another man's eyes shot open._

 _"No…," the man whispered as his body shot up. Wearing white robes, the man had long white hair and a long white beard that went down to his waist. He couldn't sense the presence of the Straw Hats, but he sensed the presence of something even more terrifying: a monster he thought was locked away for good. He closed his eyes and held a white staff to the floor, feeling around. He noted their presence now - he was no longer alone on the island._

-o-

"R-r-ruins?" Usopp said, slightly horrified at the prospect.

"M-m-monster?" Chopper asked, as terrified and horrified as Usopp.

"H-h-hell?" Nami asked, rounding out the Weakling Trio.

Brook added his shriek to the conversation for good measure.

"What does it mean?" Zoro asked.

"I'm not sure. There was a door that Luffy and I weren't able to open or break through. I want all of us to try it in the morning," Robin said.

"Anything for you, Robin dear," Sanji said, hearts in his eyes. Zoro just sighed but nodded in agreement - the prospect of fighting a monster on this otherwise uninhabited island was rather exciting for him.

As everyone finished eating, they laid out sleeping bags and tents - deciding to sleep under the stars that were shining over the beach as opposed to the comfort of their beds on the Sunny.

"Wow, that is beautiful," Nami whispered as she looked at the night sky. With absolutely no light pollution, it was as if someone had sprinkled a copious amount of glitter against the black canvas. Thousands upon thousands of stars were completely visible to the Straw Hats, all of whom stayed up for hours simply admiring the sight.

"Wow! So pretty!" Chopper exclaimed as he sat up slightly to be a few inches closer to the gorgeous sight.

"Didn't you see sights like these on Drum Island, Chopper?" Nami asked.

"Not really. It was always snowy and cloudy, so the stars were almost invisible. I don't think I saw many until I started sailing with you guys," Chopper said.

"You see those three stars really close together, Chopper?" Usopp asked, pointing to Orion's Belt.

"Yeah," Chopper said.

"That's Brave Warrior Usopp!" Usopp declared.

"WOW! REALLY?!" Chopper asked, stars in his own eyes.

"Mhm. I was the first person to discover those stars, so they let me name them!" Usopp explained.

"You're so awesome, Usopp!" Chopper said, excited that his friend was so cool, he named the stars.

"Usopp," Nami said warningly, making him cough slightly.

"Robin, what is it when stars make a picture in the sky?" Chopper asked.

"It's called a constellation," Robin answered.

"A constellation. Wow," Chopper said, still awestruck by the beauty.

One by one, everyone eventually dozed off into a peaceful sleep. Chopper was first, followed by Usopp, Franky, Brook, Nami, Sanji, Robin, Zoro, and finally Luffy.

-o-

As the pirates slept, none of them noticed a black, slimy snake slithering around them. It left slight bits of residue in the sand, which sank - making it appear completely untouched. The slimy snake went to Chopper and began licking the air around him. It waited for a moment but eventually moved on to Usopp. Again, it licked the air. However, it wiggled its snout slightly - as if smelling something off about him. The snake made the same motion for Franky. It ended up passing Brook completely - as if not even noticing that he was there. The snake licked the air around Nami, Sanji, Robin, and Zoro - only slithering around Robin for an extended period of time. But finally, it moved on from Robin. Finally, he reached Luffy. As the snake began to slither around his figure, it picked something up - something delightful, something delectable. There was something about Luffy that drew the snake closer and closer. Slowly, it slithered on to Luffy - who didn't seem to feel the snake at all. It began to lick Luffy's face as if tasting him before it made its move. Although not visible to Luffy, the snake gave a vicious smile as it slithered off of him. It repositioned itself around Luffy's head, still tasting the air around him. Pain. Grief. Anger. Hope. Compassion. It was there - all of it. The plethora of emotions that raged in the invisible aura of the boy was a cornucopia.

Slowly, the snake began to morph yet again. However, this time, the transformation was vertical. Over the course of the next few hours, it began to slowly take the shape of a humanoid with long, muscular arms and legs - standing an impressive seven feet tall. The body was fluid and a slimy black, with no distinguishable facial features. The hands and feet each had five digits, it had ears, and what looked like a nose - but that was it. Impassively, it stared at Luffy and his companions. The figure position his hand above Luffy. Multiple tendrils began to jut out, all of which slowly raised Luffy's body, which was still - the movements were so gentle and discreet, they didn't wake the pirate. With one final glance at the others, the figure took Luffy into the foliage and began to head back to the ruins.

-o-

The unidentified man made his way to the beach. Due to his old age, he wasn't able to move as quickly or fluidly as he'd like - but he knew that he had no time to waste. Trying to push his body as much as he could, he picked up a slight pace. Even still, his endeavors only got him to the beach as dawn broke over the sea and the sun began to rise over the greenery. He spotted eight figures still asleep - and to his horror, the presence of a ninth was missing.

"WAKE UP YOU FOOLS!" he roared. Zoro was the first. His eye shot open and he drew his sword, staring intently at the old man that appeared. Sanji was second. Upon noticing Zoro's stance and the presence of the new arrival, his right foot was engulfed in fire. Like Zoro, he was giving the old man a hard stare. Robin followed. As she looked around, she found that Luffy was missing. She saw the old man and crossed her arms over her chest, narrowing her eyes at him. Nami, Brook, Usopp, and Franky followed at the same time and all of them were pointing their weapons at the arrival - with Usopp shuddering slightly. Chopper was the last to wake up and did so in an adorable fashion as opposed to shooting up with the rest of them. However, as he saw the old man, he quickly got into a fighting position. As the others looked down the line, they noticed what Robin did: Luffy wasn't there.

"Where's Luffy?!" Zoro shouted.

"Don't ask me!" Sanji retorted, not taking his eyes off the old man.

"Did he already go to the ruins?" Nami asked.

"No… no… it can't…," the old man whispered, his eyes opening wide.

"Who're you, old man?" Zoro asked.

"My name is Caspian. I am the guardian of the island - as I have been for the past several decades. Who are you, is the pertinent question," Caspian stated as his eyes went over each of them.

"W-w-we're pirates, old man! So don't mess with us!" Usopp said in a high pitched voice as his knees trembled in fear.

"One of you is not here! Where is the other boy?" Caspian asked them.

"We were about to ask you that," Nami said.

"When did you arrive here?" Caspian asked, ignoring Nami.

"Sunset yesterday," Robin stated.

"Sunset… sunset… and the ruins! Did any of you go to the ruins?!" Caspian asked loudly.

"Stop yelling!" Sanji shouted. Caspian, however, stared intently at Robin who nodded.

"Our captain and I visited them yesterday. Why?" Robin asked. To the crew's surprise, the knees of the old man began to wobble heavily and he fell to the ground, breathing heavily. Chopper rushed over and pulled out his stethoscope - he quickly began observing the man, who didn't attempt to push him off. Everyone was silent for a few minutes as the man collected his demeanor and began speaking again in an even voice.

"You made a grave mistake, then. Tell me - the boy. Who is he? Thank you, Doctor," Caspian said as he slowly got up with Choppers help.

"He's our captain; we're pirates. Straw Hat Pirates," Franky stated.

"That's neither here nor there. The man, I mean, the man! What kind of PERSON is he?!" Caspian asked, a bit irate.

"What do you mean?" Robin asked.

"Is he good? Bad? Wonderful? Terrible?" Caspian asked.

"Why do you want to know, old man?" Sanji asked.

"If you love him, answer my questions. Otherwise, it's very likely you'll be leaving this island without a captain," Caspian stated.

At that, the mood of the crew changed - Usopp, Nami, Brook, and Chopper's mouths dropped to the floor as they looked at Caspian with fear in their eyes. Zoro, Sanji, Franky, and Robin's eyes narrowed even further as they pierced Caspian with their gaze, refusing to believe what they heard.

"What do you mean?" Robin asked.

"I mean that he will die. I can't simplify it any further," Caspian stated.

"Who are you?" Zoro asked.

"I see this is going nowhere until I answer your questions, then. My name is Caspian. For the past several decades, I've acted as guardian to this island - stopping others from setting foot here. It's a duty that I admittedly have been lax in for at least forty years. However, I felt something last night that I have not in all those years - something terrible, something horrible. Answer my questions now," Caspian said, rushing through his statement.

Robin, Sanji, Zoro, and Franky exchanged nods while the other four simply held on to each other and shivered.

"Your question was 'What kind of man is Luffy?' He's a kind person. A large heart, a significant will. He dreams of being King of the Pirates," Robin stated simply.

"This Luffy… Has he suffered significant trauma in his past?" Caspian asked.

"What kind of question is that? You want his life story?" Sanji asked. Robin, however, answered.

"His step brother died two years, and he was given a large scar on his chest," Robin said. Caspian opened his mouth to speak but closed it without saying a word. He soon closed his eyes and was silent for a moment before he nodded. He turned away from them and looked to the east, to the ruins.

"If you leave now, you should be ok," Caspian said.

"WHAT? YOU DON'T EXPECT US TO LEAVE WITHOUT OUR CAPTAIN, DO YOU!?" Nami screamed at him, pointing her Sorcery Clima-Tact at him.

"I do expect that. If you value your lives, you would be wise to," Caspian said.

"Hold it, pops. We're not leaving without Luffy. That's that," Sanji forcibly declared. Caspian looked at him before turning away again.

"Then you'll die with him as well," he stated ominously. Usopp, Chopper, and Brook resolved themselves and stopped shivering.

"Look here, sir! We are not leaving without our captain!" Brook declared. Usopp and Chopper nodded vigorously in agreement.

"Please, start from the beginning," Robin asked. Caspian turned again to look at them and closed his eyes.

'His crew seems to love him. Perhaps… we'll see,' he thought.

Opening them again, his eyes looked over each crew member.

"This island is known as Memoria Insula. Memory Island. You may or may not have noticed a strong presence in this place - if you haven't, it's fine. But there is a powerful presence at work here. Since the world was formed, this island, in particular, has simply always been. From a nomadic tribe on the Red Line, every several decades, a person is sent here - I was the latest - to protect this island as guardian. Those ruins that you disturbed? They are home to an entity that has lived here for as long as our legends have been told. An entity that feeds off of emotions - a parasite, if you may. It latches on to souls such as your captain - those that have recently suffered some form of trauma - or that have particularly difficult pasts; those that have wounds inflicted on the mind or heart. You see where I am going with this. This entity - we call it Parallax - puts its prey in a stasis and slowly feeds off of them for years in its private chamber. The last soul that came here… he somehow woke up during the process. Screams such as that I've never heard in my life. It hasn't fed since then, however - which is why it's surprising how quickly it moved this time. I fear that it is too late for your captain," Caspian said.

At this point, everyone's mouth was agape at what they just heard. An ancient entity that feeds off the emotion of its victim? It sounded too ludicrous to be true.

"That's impossible," Usopp finally said, sweating bullets as his heart was in his throat.

"No. It's what's happening," Caspian said.

"Let's go. We need to free Luffy!" Zoro said as he began to rush off into the foliage. However, he fell onto his backside quickly - there was a barrier blocking him.

"What's this? I don't remember it here before," Robin said as she felt the barrier.

"I put it up just now to stop you from doing something foolish," Caspian stated. Sanji got close to the old man, who didn't flinch.

"Let us go. We need to find our captain," Sanji stated dangerously.

"Your captain is doomed. Please, leave this island! Save yourselves! I will imprison Parallax once again," Caspian said.

As Caspian spoke those words, a terror crept into the hearts of everyone there. The darkness seemed to descend on the island as the water suddenly began to thresh more and more. Caspian fearfully looked around. Finally, a voice spoke - a disembodied voice that came from everywhere.

 _"That's all you can hope to do, isn't it old man? Leaving this… Monkey D. Luffy to his fate while you seal me away, hoping that no one finds this island. You old fool,"_ the voice said.

"WHAT WAS THAT?!" Usopp loudly asked as he hugged Chopper and Nami, all of whom were scared straight. Even Zoro and Sanji - two monsters in their own right - seemed shaken.

 _"I am Parallax - the entity of this island that the old man speaks of. Your friend is with me. I promise you eight that no pain will befall Monkey D. Luffy,"_ the voice said.

"YOU'RE GOING TO KILL HIM, AREN'T YOU?! WHAT THE HELL DO YOU MEAN HE WON'T FEEL PAIN?!" Sanji roared into the air.

 _"Yes, I will consume him. But he won't feel any pain whatsoever during the presence - in fact, he's quite content right now. Ace. That is his step brother, no? They're enjoying a moment right now. I will make his final moments painless and joyous,"_ the voice answered.

"GIVE US OUR CAPTAIN BACK!" Chopper yelled, tears streaming down his eyes. He didn't believe Caspian before - but after hearing the voice of the entity, fear, and terror for Luffy were prominent in his heart.

 _"I cannot do that, reindeer. It's been decades since I've last eaten. I will not give up this meal,"_ the voice said.

"HE'S OUR CAPTAIN! HE'S OUR FRIEND! YOU CAN'T EAT HIM!" Nami yelled.

 _"I can and I will. I recognize your right to attempt to save the boy, and you may try as such. Just as much, you will recognize my desire to eat him. I trust the old fool can tell you about how you may help your dear friend. But perhaps he's lost the heart to attempt to do so - and all he can do is try to imprison me at this point,"_ the voice said. With that final sentence, the darkness that swelled over the island disappeared as the water again became still. Zoro and Sanji rounded on the old man, who still didn't flinch.

"So there is a way we can save him?! Why didn't you tell us?" Sanji asked. Caspian closed his eyes and took a moment before speaking again.

"If you fail, you will die. There's no other way to put it," Caspian stated.

"That's fine," Zoro said, no doubt in his heart.

"Bring it on," Sanji replied.

"We're not leaving without our captain," Robin stated.

"Whatever it takes," Brook stated.

Nami, Chopper, Usopp, and Franky all vigorously nodded.

"You fools. You don't understand. Parallax will consume you! He WANTS you to try and save your captain - if you fail, it's more food for him! Please, just leave!" Caspian pleaded. The others refused to back down, though.

"If it was Luffy, he would've broken that barrier down and busted us out by now. Tell us what it'll take. We're not leaving," Zoro forcefully stated. Caspian opened his mouth as though he were about to argue, but closed it. His hand began to shake as he nodded.

"Follow me. I will explain on the way," he said as he led them into the foliage, in the direction of the ruins.

"This entity - while it feeds off of all emotions in a person - willpower, hope, rage, fear, love, compassion, greed, etc. - enjoys grief the most. It's the emotion it always searches for when it finds a victim - the rest, while it does feed off them, don't sate its desire. What your captain went through with his stepbrother - it has impacted your captain in a way that he has not gotten over it. Don't ask me why I don't know. Perhaps there's something underlying that has been gnawing at his soul that he hasn't noticed, or hasn't confronted. Regardless - his problem at the very least is psychological, and possibly physical. There is one way to help him - one. And that is to help him confront whatever it is that is causing him pain. Parallax, whether for malice or magnanimity, has allowed companions of his victims to attempt to save their friend. In the whole of history, perhaps a couple have succeeded - none of them in the last few hundred years," Caspian said.

"What do we have to do?" Robin asked.

"You will be exploring the memories of your captain - without his permission, I might add. What you will see, I do not know. Undoubtedly, they will be important moments in his life - or moments in which he felt strongly about something. Some of them might not even mean much to you, but they do to him. Regardless, you will watch his memories - which you will not be able to interact with or change in any way as they have already happened. After you have viewed everything, you will be sent into his mind - deep into his mind - where you will attempt to reach him. From there, he can fight against Parallax and push it off - with your help. Be warned that the fight isn't purely mental - you will have to fight Parallax as a physical entity as well, but what form it will take I do not know. As you explore his memories, Parallax might delve into yours - although there will be no way of knowing for you. I will attempt to stop it from doing so, but I make no guarantees that you will make it out of those ruins alive," Caspian said.

Chopper, Nami, and Usopp were all sweating bullets but they continued to follow - they wouldn't abandon Luffy to such a fate.

"I will say this: that as long as your captain is in his stasis, he will feel no pain. He likely isn't even aware of what's going on right now. It is highly likely that he will enjoy his final moments. This is your final chance to turn back - beyond this point, there is no guarantee I can make you, no solace I can offer," Caspian said as they approached the ruins.

"We're doing this, old man," Zoro said as he walked into the ruins with an air of confidence - although, he had to admit that he was a bit afraid. The rest followed - each with varying degrees of fear and confidence. However, as they entered the main chamber of the ruin, their eyes shot up in shock at what was in the middle.

A straw hat lay on the bottom, which Robin quickly picked up with her devil fruit powers, not daring to approach the thing in the middle. She looked to the side and saw that the closed door was now open. She felt a pang of terror go through her as her lips parted slightly - wondering if she was the reason behind this?

 _"I can sense your fear. No, you didn't wake me with that loud racket. I woke later as I sensed the presence of Monkey D. Luffy. The boy has quite the presence, as I'm sure you all know well,"_ the eerie voice from earlier said. However, this time, everyone set their eyes on the black mass in the middle. What looked like a human body of roughly Luffy's proportions was there, with black tendrils gently moving autonomously around it. Suddenly, the mass around the face separated. To everyone's shock and horror, Luffy was laying there, eyes closed and content - almost as if he were sleeping.

Zoro rushed forward, hoping to cut the tendrils way - but they wrapped around him and held him in place. Sanji was next, but they did the same for him. The tendrils ensnared everyone and held them in place - but all of them remained awake.

 _"The old man already explained to you what you must do. I will give each of you a tendril to hold on to - and with it, you will enter the subconscious and the memory of your beloved captain. You will have a fair chance to save him, and I will have a fair chance to feed on you all. If you try to attack me in such a way again, I will sever his head from his body and feed off your ensuing grief. I do not wish to do so; I haven't tasted such pain as his in ages. You have one more chance: leave now and you may do so in peace - I will not release your captain, however. Stay, and know that you risk your own lives for a small chance at success,"_ the entity stated.

"WE ACCEPT!" Zoro roared as everyone else did in agreement. There was no turning back for them; they would either reach the end of the Grand Line as a crew, or all would die trying. Each recalled that Luffy had at some point saved them from death; if they turned their back on their captain now, they would deserve the painful ends they had waiting for them.

 _"Very well. I assume you'll stay and protect them as best as you can, old man?"_ the entity asked. Caspian simply nodded as the entity gave a mirthless laugh. It set them down and extended a tendril to them which they grasped tightly.

 _"You will all be able to see and interact with each other. In the memories, your captain won't see you - nor will anyone else. As such, this is from his eyes as he's seen or heard things. May whatever God you believe in be with you,"_ the entity said. With that, they were all plunged into darkness.

-o-

Zoro was the first to wake. As he looked around, he saw only darkness.

"Zoro," came a voice from behind him - Robin.

"Robin - hey. Seen the others?" Zoro asked.

"You guys!" came Nami's voice. She was holding Chopper in her arms as Usopp was right behind them.

"Robin! Nami!" came Sanji's lovey-dovey voice as he appeared, followed by Franky and Brook.

"We're all here. Is Luffy here?" Zoro asked, looking around.

"I don't think so. Like Parallax said, we'll be looking at his memories. He won't be aware of us," Robin said.

"I feel kind of… dirty… for doing so," Usopp said, uncomfortable.

"It's for Luffy," Frankly said, giving him a nod. Usopp nodded in return.

A bright light encompassed them all - and before they knew it, they were in a small village. Along a dirt road walked a tiny, familiar boy.


	2. Romance Dawn

**As a quick reference,** _italics_ **are the memories that are being observed, while** regular text **is the observations made by the crew. Lengthwise, I expect all chapters to be fairly long, so updates might be intermittent and take a while as I'll need to refer constantly to the manga/anime as well to make sure the dialogue and actions are as close as possible. Incidentally, there will be a few extra scenes that I've added of my own accord to flesh this story out a bit, but there won't be many of them; just small bits here and there. I hope you forgive my grammatical and spelling errors; I do plan on reviewing each chapter multiple times to whittle these down as much as possible.**

-o-

"Is that Luffy?!" Nami exclaimed as she observed the tiny young boy walking down the dirt lane with a broad smile on his face. Even now, it seemed as thought Luffy's attitude and outlook on life were unchanged: face everything with a smile.

"He's so tiny!" Chopper said delightfully as he compared heights with the young Luffy - no younger than six, no older than eight.

"An adorable child, it seems," Robin said, smiling gently at him.

"He doesn't have his hat yet, it seems. He probably hasn't met Shanks," Zoro observed, noticing his treasure decidedly not with him.

"I wonder why it's starting here?" Nami asked.

"Let's see where this goes," Zoro said as he walked alongside Luffy. Curiosity overtook him and tried to put his hand on his head - and immediately, it went through. This earned him a slap from Nami.

"What're you doing?!" Nami asked hotly.

"I just wanted to see what would happen!" Zoro explained. She rolled her eyes - yet did the same thing, earning a deadpan from Zoro.

"Looks like we'll just go through anyone that we meet," Robin observed as she made the same motion.

 _-o-_

 _Young Luffy wandered down the dirt road, a broad smile on his face. As he was walking, he saw some children playing kickball. He approached them happily._

" _Hey, guys! Need another player?" Luffy asked with a grin._

 _This earned him a glare from the others, all of whom kept on playing without giving Luffy any wordy acknowledgment. Luffy kept his smile for a little while longer, but it eventually dropped and he continued walking._

 _-o-_

"That was cold," Usopp said as they saw Luffy sulking off.

"Children can be cruel," Robin said, speaking from experience.

"Yeah, but why did they treat him like that? Luffy's a nice guy," Chopper observed. No one answered his question - they didn't know.

 _-o-_

 _As Luffy continued walking, he suddenly hit the ground. One of the children aimed a ball directly for the back of his head and purposely plowed it into him - hard._

 _Luffy heard the other children laughing. However, he paid them no attention and simply continued walking. The adults around him, however, glared at the child that sent the ball at him._

" _We'll be telling your parents about this," one of the older gentlemen yelled at the child - whose eyes went wide in terror at the thought._

 _Meanwhile, Luffy entered Partys Bar._

 _-o-_

"Those pricks…," Sanji growled. He knew that little kids were heartless, soulless, evil things - but that was just uncalled for.

"I don't know why, but I always imagined Luffy having a lot of friends as a kid," Nami said, uneasy at the treatment of her former captain. She wanted to slap the kid that hit him silly - and indeed attempted to do so - but was unable to.

"He is very charismatic now, but perhaps it was something he adopted in his life?" Brook added

"No, I don't think so. He seems to be somewhat outgoing now - after all, he approached those kids. It seems as though they have a personal problem with him," Robin said.

"Isn't he a bit too young to be headed into a bar?" Zoro inquired. The others followed him as he went through the wall and entered.

 _-o-_

" _Hi there, Luffy," greeted a green haired young lady in her late teens. She's wearing an orange vest over a black shirt, black slacks, and a patterned orange bandana around her hair. She smiled warmly at Luffy as he entered, but grew worried as she noticed his red face and the dirt on his shirt._

" _Hi Makino," Luffy said as he perked up and smiled warmly at the bartender._

" _What happened?!" Makino exclaimed as she rushed over and hugged Luffy and began to gently swat off the dirt on him._

 _-o-_

Sanji, as expected, had hearts in his eyes.

"Makino! My, my, what a beauty! I didn't know that such a display of perfection was so prominent in Luffy's mind! Thank you, Luffy, for remembering her!" Sanji exclaimed. His comrades rolled their eyes at him as they observed Makino.

"I wonder who she is?" Usopp asked, also moved by her beauty.

"Maybe his sister or something?" Chopper wondered.

"I don't think so; Luffy only ever mentioned Ace as his brother," Robin countered.

"She seems to know him, at least," Zoro said.

 _-o-_

" _Nothing, I just fell down," Luffy said as Makino walked him over to a stool, which he climbed. She prepared some cake for him, which he happily began to eat._

" _Luffy," Makino said warningly._

" _It's true! I just fell!" Luffy said._

" _Those children have been bullying you again, haven't they? Do you want me to talk to them?" Makino asked, worried._

" _No! It's ok! I'm just waiting here for Grandpa," Luffy said, slight fear entering his voice. Makino looked at him and sighed._

" _Alright. If you ever want me to talk to them, though, just ask, okay?" she told him, giving him a bright smile. Luffy smiled and nodded._

" _Thanks for the cake, Makino! You're the best!" Luffy said, declaring it for the world to hear. Makino couldn't help but giggle at his exuberant behavior._

 _-o-_

"She seems really nice!" Chopper said happily as he climbed up the bar - which he was able to do, to his surprise. Robin noted that they could probably interact with some of the inanimate objects around them - just not the people.

"She seems like a mother or sister to him," Nami said, also smiling at how kindly Makino treated Luffy - a far cry from how the other kids did.

"As beautiful on the inside as she is on the outside!" Sanji declared happily, hearts still in his eyes.

"She does seem especially kind. I would like to meet her someday. Perhaps she would consider showing me her panties?" Brook wondered - earning a hard slap from Nami.

"IF YOU EVER ASK HER THAT, I'LL KILL YOU A SECOND TIME!" Nami comically yelled at him, causing Usopp and Chopper to hug each other and declare her scary.

 _-o-_

 _The doors to the bar opened after another ten minutes and in walked a face that everyone recognized - Monkey D. Garp. Decked out in a white undershirt and a black overcoat and slacks, Garp sat down next to Luffy._

" _Don't spoil him, Makino!" Garp told the bartender._

" _Someone has to!" Makino retorted. Garp opened his mouth as to speak, but decided against it when he saw the glint of disappointment in Makino's eyes._

 _-o-_

Usopp, Chopper, and Franky watched the scene with their mouths wide open.

"Did you hear her sass Garp?!" Usopp asked, feeling as though he had been struck by lightning.

"This chicks got balls!" Franky added. He had seen Garp's formidability first hand - he knew he was a tough old bastard.

"She even left the old man speechless," Zoro added with a snicker as he noticed how Garp didn't have a reply to that.

"Quite impressive," Robin noted, smiling.

"I'm quite lost. Who is this man?" Brook asked.

"Right, you weren't there on Water-7. The old man is Monkey D. Garp, Luffy's grandfather and a Marine Vice Admiral. He's quite the legend, actually - he's one of the few holdouts from the era of Gol D. Roger, the last King of the Pirates. Garp apparently came close to catching him several times - the only man to do so, from what I've heard. They call him Garp the Fist. Extremely powerful - he could have been an Admiral, or even Fleet Admiral by now, but he's refused the promotions countless times. He's as strong without a Devil Fruit than most people are with one," Robin informed Brook, who nodded as he was caught up with the situation.

 _-o-_

 _As Garp sat down next to him, Luffy went wide eyed and stared at Makino. She smiled warmly at him and sighed._

" _Garp. Please don't put him through that insane training regiment again," Makino said. Garp got up and picked Luffy up by his shirt, dangling him in the air._

" _Don't worry, Makino! We're not going to do anything insane today - that comes later! I'm going to make a good ol' Marine out of Luffy, aren't I?" Garp excitedly asked Luffy. Luffy simply stared at Makino._

" _Don't worry, Luffy. I'll have some cake ready for you when you're back, alright?" Makino asked. At that, Luffy brightened up and nodded. He finally turned to Garp and nodded. Garp set him down and they both exited Partys Bar and began walking the dirt road uphill, towards a forest._

 _-o-_

"What did Makino mean by ' _insane training regiment'_?" Chopper wondered as he walked alongside the crew, Garp, and Luffy.

"I'm not sure," Zoro said. He was just as curious as Chopper was to see what Garp had in store for Luffy.

"I don't know why, guys, but I feel sort of terrified for what's about to happen to Luffy," Usopp added.

"Yeah, me too," Franky added.

"Third," Brook said, raising his hand - although he had no idea what to expect.

"Whatever it is, we know Luffy survives - otherwise, he wouldn't have made it to where we are now," Robin said calmly.

As they continued walking, they finally came upon a clearing. They noticed a wooden bridge that crossed over a ravine. Everyone except for Brook and Zoro felt a sudden twang in their stomach.

"Don't tell me," Nami deadpanned.

"No way," Sanji agreed.

"What?" Zoro asked.

"You'll see," Robin said with a worried sigh.

 _-o-_

" _Why do I have to train so much, grandpa?" Luffy asked._

" _I'm going to train you to become a strong Marine, just like your grandfather!" Garp proudly stated._

" _But I don't want to be a Marine!" Luffy whined._

" _I'm going to make a Marine out of you yet, kiddo!" Garp said as he picked Luffy up and raised him in the sky. Luffy couldn't help but let out a squeal of delight as he went flying in the air._

 _-o-_

"Awww, that's too cute," Nami cooed as she smiled warmly at Luffy. Why couldn't he have stayed a child and adorable?

"It is," Robin added with a smile.

In the background, Sanji was bemoaning the attention child Luffy was getting from Robin and Nami.

 _-o-_

" _Welp. I'll see you later kiddo. I'm going to be gone for a week, which is probably how long it'll take you to find your way back to civilization," Garp said cheerfully._

" _What?" Luffy deadpanned as he stared at his grandfather._

" _Down you go!" Garp said as he let Luffy fall into the ravine. Luffy screamed - a mix of adorable and absolute terror - as he plummeted down. He heard Garps voice call from above._

" _I'VE NO IDEA HOW LONG THAT FALL IS, SO YOU SHOULD HAVE PLENTY OF TIME TO SAVE YOURSELF! DON'T TELL MAKINO, OR ELSE SHE'LL CUT OFF MY RICE CRACKERS!" Garp yelled. He began whistling to himself and walked away._

 _-o-_

The Straw Hats looked on in the shock at what just happened.

"Did he… just… throw Luffy into a bottomless pit…?" Brook asked, unsure of what he had just seen - trying to believe it.

"Yeah…," was all Franky could say.

"GARP, ARE YOU INSANE?!" Nami yelled as she went to punch the old man. The punch went straight through him. It did nothing to lessen the anger that Nami felt.

"I can't believe he did that," Usopp meekly got out.

"OH NO! LUFFY!" Chopper comically yelled as he positioned himself over the ravine. Luffy's cries of terror could still be heard.

"That's… child abuse, right?" Sanji said as he lit a cigarette.

"It has to be. I knew Garp was insane, but this is… over the top," Zoro added as he looked over the ravine as well.

"At least we know that the captain survives," Robin added, although she couldn't suppress that worried feeling that she also felt. She expected Garp to be a harsh teacher, but this seemed to cross the line.

"Should we… I don't know, should we follow?" Zoro asked.

At that, the memory suddenly went dark.

"What's going on?" Sanji asked. As he finished his question, they saw a bloody and bruised Luffy panting as he climbed out of the edge of the ravine they were perched on.

"Luffy!" Chopper cried out as he went to hug his captain, but was unable to. He scolded himself for forgetting that, yet continued to examine Luffy's injuries.

"It appears as though that was a memory transition. It seems as though we won't be watching every little detail about what Luffy did, although we'll see a fair bit nonetheless," Robin noted.

"His injuries are surprisingly moderate. Mostly just surface cuts and bruises and a dislocated left shoulder which he put back in place. I'm shocked," Chopper declared.

"So what you're saying is that even when he was a kid, Luffy was a tough bastard?" Sanji noted.

"That seems to be the case. Although, he's still a kid. Something tells me his grandpa did more than just throw him into a ravine.

As if on cue, however, Garp showed up yet again - wearing the same clothes.

 _-o-_

" _Good job, kiddo!" Garp said, giving Luffy a thumbs up. Luffy smiled in response and gave Garp a thumbs up._

" _Now, it's time for your second lesson," Garp said as he carried Luffy in his arms into the jungle._

" _What's next?" Luffy asked, tired._

" _You'll see," Garp replied, grinning. Luffy nodded and dozed off for a minute until Garp woke him up._

" _I'm going to be gone for a few days, which should be more than enough to get out of the jungle!" Garp stated._

" _WHAT? I JUST GOT OUT OF THE RAVINE!" Luffy exclaimed._

" _A Marine must be prepared for anything!" Garp exclaimed. He retracted Luffy like a football threw him in a perfect spiral. Luffy's shrieks of terror pierced the jungle, no doubt waking up some creatures. Back with Garp, he clapped his hands together and walked off, whistling._

 _-o-_

The Straw Hats were even more surprised as they saw Garp pitch their baby captain deep into the jungle.

"He… threw him into the jungle," Usopp said meekly.

"It's official. Garp is insane," Franky said.

"WHEN WE GET BACK, I'M GOING TO THROW HIM INTO A RAVINE AND SEE HOW HE LIKES IT!" Nami hotly stated, her anger for the old man growing. He was supposed to be his guardian - what kind of guardian treated their kid like that?

"Huh. No wonder Luffy never became a Marine," Zoro added. He was shocked by the treatment that Garp gave his grandson, but he couldn't help but snicker slightly at Luffy's training regiment. This earned him a slap from Nami.

"YOU THINK IT'S FUNNY?!" she yelled at him.

"Not 'ha-ha' funny, but come on - we know Luffy makes it out alive. I just find it sort of entertaining that we see why attacks just roll off of Luffy now. Garp really put him through the ringer," Zoro said, massaging his scalp.

"It is an interesting regiment. I am surprised how… hard Garp is on Luffy, but I suppose we do have him to thank for Luffy's endurance. I must say that it's not a surprise that Luffy became a pirate. I wouldn't want to spend much time with Garp from what I've seen," Robin said. She felt bad for the pain Luffy obviously went through with his training, and was more than a little miffed at how hands-off Garp was.

"Yeah, but come on! Luffy's six or seven. He should be enjoying himself as a kid, not fighting off God-knows-what in ravines and forests!" Usopp said, completely terrified for his captain.

The memory went dark again; they saw Garp sitting on a tree stump, wearing a red Hawaiian shirt and black shorts - watching as Luffy was fighting monkeys.

"Looks like Garp still has Luffy training," Sanji observed, blowing some smoke at Garp. He knew a bit about how hard a guardian could be, especially after being under Zeff's tutelage for a long time. But Garp seemed to be going way too far.

' _Damn monkeys,'_ Zoro thought, closing his eye and grimacing as he thought about the baboons he fought during his two-year training session with Hawkeye Mihawk.

 _-o-_

" _Ouch!" Luffy yelled as he had as ass handed to him by the monkeys. They were shooting around on the ground and trees, not letting Luffy get in even a single hit. The monkeys all sported huge grins as they pummeled Luffy to the point of exhaustion. Garp sat on a tree stump, simply observing his grandson._

" _You bastards!" Luffy yelled as another monkey kicked him from behind. The kick sent him flying forward to Garps feet._

" _Grandpa! Why do you want me to fight with these guys?" Luffy asked, massaging his head. At that, a monkey screeched and got Luffy's attention. With a grin, it began punching the air in front of it with astonishing power and speed._

" _That's your training!" Garp said, leaning forward a bit._

" _My training? It just makes me hungry! Besides, I don't wanna get hit anymore!" Luffy retorted._

 _-o-_

"Always thinking about his stomach," Nami said with a sigh, hands on her hips as she shook her head. Her captain had a one track mind if she ever saw one. The crew simply smiled at Luffy's declaration.

 _-o-_

 _Three monkeys began punching the air around them getting Luffy's attention for a moment before Garp began speaking again._

" _Don't be such a baby! You have to become the strongest Marine soldier!" Garp stated._

" _But I don't want to be a Marine soldier! It looks boring, grandpa. I want to be a pirate!" Luffy stated. Garp closed his eyes and nodded. Luffy had a slight look of hope in his eyes, wondering if his grandfather finally saw things his way._

" _NO!" Garp said as he punched Luffy in the face - not too hard, but not softly either._

" _Ouch! Nothing hurts more than grandpas Fist of Love!" Luffy stated as he massaged his nose, tears coming down._

 _-o-_

"If Garp was my grandfather, I wouldn't want to follow him in any profession," Sanji said as he tapped off the ashes of his cigarette.

"Yeah, I'd want to stay as far away from him as I possibly could," Usopp added, sighing as he closed his eyes.

"Why doesn't Luffy use his powers?" Chopper wondered.

"I don't think he's gotten them yet," Robin answered.

"But look, he brought Luffy some balloons! Maybe he's going to reward him for his training?" Chopper added as he pointed at the balloons that were off to the side.

Nami and Robin exchanged glances and shook their heads, knowing what they were about to see.

 _-o-_

" _Grandpa, are those balloons for me?!" Luffy asked excitedly as Garp led him to them, his training session with the monkeys finished._

" _That's right, kiddo. Here, so they won't get away," Garp said as he tied the balloons around Luffy's stomach. Luffy was too excited to see where this was going as Garp held him in his arms._

" _Now… up you go!" Garp said, grinning as he let Luffy go. Luffy was ten feet in the air before his look of excitement was replaced by a look of absolute terror and he began screaming to be let on the ground._

" _GRANDPAAAAAAA!" Luffy shouted._

" _DON'T WORRY, LUFFY! THE BALLOONS WILL POP BEFORE YOU EXIT THE ATMOSPHERE. IT MIGHT GET A LITTLE HARD TO BREATHE UP THERE, BUT YOU CAN DO IT. ANYWAYS, I GOT CALLED OUT ON A MISSION AND I'M LEAVING IN THE MORNING. I'LL SEE YOU NEXT YEAR, KIDDO! REMEMBER, GRANDPA LOVES YOU!" Garp shouted up, over Luffy's terrified screams. He began to whistle as he sauntered away._

 _-o-_

"OH MY GOD!" Nami shouted as her hands flew over her mouth. Luffy was ascending higher and higher and was soon a speck against the sky. This cinched it for her - she would have to give Garp an ass kicking for treating his grandson in such a horrible manner. She knew that Luffy would survive the ordeal, but that didn't do anything to lessen her worries about her captain. No doubt the psychological trauma would stick with him for a while.

"CAPTAIN!" Chopper yelled, his eyes bulging comically at the sight of young Luffy ascending to heaven.

"No wonder he's so afraid of Garp," Robin added, only mildly surprised that Garp did this.

"I think everyone is," Usopp added fearfully as he a put his goggles on and searched for Luffy in the sky.

"You see him, mosshead?" Sanji asked Zoro casually.

"Yeah. You, love cook?" Zoro replied.

"Yup. Well, at least we know he doesn't go splat," Sanji said. This earned him a vicious slap upside the head from Nami. He faceplanted but had hearts in his eyes.

"Oh, Nami sweet! Even when you hit me, you're perfect!" he replied as he got up.

"DON'T BE SO CASUAL ABOUT THIS!" Nami yelled.

"Did I hear right - Garp is going to be gone for a YEAR? He's leaving Luffy alone at home for a YEAR?!" Franky asked, focusing on what Garp said.

"That's what I heard. But it doesn't look like Luffy lives with anyone else. I don't even think we've seen his home yet," Brook added.

"Wait… don't tell me… Luffy is going to be living alone for a YEAR? He's a KID!" Nami raged, making Brook, Chopper, and Usopp retreat in fear.

"I don't think Garp would be that cruel," Zoro said. He locked eyes with Robin, Nami, and Sanji who all sighed. The hell was he talking about? Of course he would!

"I hope Luffy has someone to help take care of him. He's just a kid. He can't live by himself for a year without help, regardless of how strong he is," Nami said as she wrapped her arms around herself. She found herself being extremely worried about her captains well-being - surprising considering she knew how well Luffy could take care of himself now.

The memory went dark and they found themselves back in Makino's bar. Luffy was wearing new and fresh clothes and walked in; his bruises and cuts were still visible. Makino rushed over in worry and brought him to the back of the bar to fix him up.

"Wow, she's a doctor too!" Chopper said excitedly.

"She does seem to know some first aid. Considering the kind of teacher Garp is, I suppose that's a good thing," Franky observed.

"Something tells me she learned first aid specifically to help Luffy after his training sessions," Robin added.

"Oh, Makino! Does your intelligence ever end?!" Sanji exclaimed, professing his love for her yet again.

 _-o-_

" _Thanks, Makino," Luffy said, cheerful as always as Makino dressed his cuts and applied some band-aids here and there._

" _Anytime, Luffy. This means your training is over for a bit?" Makino asked, smiling at him._

" _Yup! Grandpa's going away for a year," Luffy said. His face fell a bit at that while a look of shock replaced the smile on Makino._

" _Luffy - what do you mean?" Makino asked, stopping for a moment and making Luffy look at her._

" _Grandpa said that the Marine's called him away on something, so he's gonna be gone for a year," Luffy said._

" _He's leaving you alone - by yourself - for a year?" Makino asked, worried. Luffy smiled weakly and nodded._

" _I'm a big boy, Makino! I can take care of myself!" Luffy declared. Makino sighed - she knew Luffy and knew that this meant that he would be living alone. She would have some choice words for Garp when he got back._

" _You know you're always welcome to stay with me for as long as you want, Luffy," Makino said, placing a gentle hand on his shoulder. Luffy smiled and hugged her; he liked Makino._

 _-o-_

"Awww, she's so sweet!" Nami squealed in delight.

"I'm just happy that Luffy had someone to take care of him as a child," Robin said, smiling at Makino's memory. She reminded her a bit of Jaguar D. Saul, her caretaker for a while. She was kind and caring to Luffy, helping him when he needed it and offering to him as much as she could. She was obviously an important mother or sister figure in Luffy's life - which explained why she was as prominent as Garp in his memories.

"Luffy seems to spend quite a bit of time with Makino," Brook observed, voicing Robin's thoughts.

"Yeah. She's as important as Garp it seems," Usopp added.

"Such patience in such an angel, to deal with our dumbass captain," Sanji stated, spinning in place with hearts in his eyes.

 _-o-_

 _Luffy was silently enjoying his cake in the bar as night had fallen outside._

" _Hey, Makino? Why doesn't grandpa like to spend time with me?" Luffy asked, looking down at his cake._

 _-o-_

Nami's heart went out to her captain; she could see how sad he looked. It was obvious that even with Garp's training, Luffy loved his grandpa very much.

"Oh man! That's so sad!" Frankly said as he and Brook began to comically cry for their captain.

"Garp does seem to leave Luffy by himself often," Robin said.

"I'm sure he loves him… in his own sick, twisted way," Zoro said, although he couldn't deny that he felt sorry for his captain.

 _-o-_

 _Makino gave Luffy a warm smile as she leaned across the bar._

" _Luffy, don't get Garp wrong. Your grandpa loves you very, very much. He just shows it differently from other people because he's not very good at expressing himself," Makino said._

" _What does that mean?" Luffy asked, looking at her and tilting her head._

" _It means that he loves you, but he doesn't know how to show it. He's strong, but still an idiot," Makino said with a sigh. Luffy thought about her answer for a bit._

" _Grandpa wants me to become a Marine," Luffy said._

" _Do you want to be a Marine?" Makino asked._

" _NO! I'm gonna be a pirate!" Luffy declared as he jumped on his seat and put his hands on his hips. Makino giggled at his declaration as an old man injected himself into the conversation._

" _Don't talk that nonsense, Luffy!" the old man said._

" _Oh hello, Mayor Woop Slap," Makino said with a smile as she looked at the old man. Woo Slap wore oval glasses and had a prominent mustache and beard. He wore an orange shirt and black slacks, topped off with a candy cane cap._

" _Hello, Makino. Now Luffy, listen to your grandfather. Being a Marine is a great career choice! They protect the people from pirates!" Woop Slap said._

" _But I already decided I'm gonna be a pirate, mayor!" Luffy declared. Makino continued to giggle._

" _Why do you want to be a pirate?!" Woop Slap asked._

" _Because then I don't have to train with grandpa anymore! I'll be free!" Luffy said happily._

" _But as a Marine, you can be a hero!" Woop Slap said._

" _I don't want to be a hero!" Luffy stated._

" _Why not?!" Woop Slap exclaimed, horrified._

" _Because heroes have to share their meat! I want all the meat for myself!" Luffy stated as if it was the most obvious thing in the world. That was the last straw for Makino, who doubled over in laughter. Even Woop Slap couldn't help but smile at Luffy's innocence._

" _Listen, Luffy. Pirates are bad, bad men. They hurt people," Woop Slap said as he paid for his drink and left. Luffy thought on that for a bit before he turned to Makino._

" _Is that true, Makino? Are all pirates bad people?" Luffy asked. His voice shook slightly as if he couldn't comprehend being a bad person._

" _It's true that a lot of pirates are bad people, Luffy," Makino said._

" _Does that mean I'm a bad person for wanting to be a pirate?" Luffy asked._

" _Luffy, you are the sweetest child I've ever met. I don't think you have a bad bone in your body. A person is bad, Luffy - not an entire people. I'm sure there are nice pirates as well," Makino said as she ruffled his hair. This brightened Luffy up considerably._

" _I've decided! I'm going to be a good pirate, Makino!" Luffy declared. Makino simply smiled warmly at Luffy. With one more hug, Luffy went off._

 _-o-_

"At least someone in that village supports his dream of becoming a pirate," Nami said, smiling with her eyes closed; she had to remember to ask Luffy to bring them to his village. She would love a chance to get to know some of the people that helped raise him - especially Makino.

"She's awesome!" Chopper exclaimed, stars in his eyes as he walked next to Luffy who had his chest puffed out and was walking with a confident demeanor.

"I'm curious, though. He's saying pirate - not King of the Pirates. I wonder where that transition takes place," Robin wondered aloud.

"I'm not sure about that myself," Zoro said, also curious. He never imagined a Luffy that just wanted to be a pirate; he always knew the Luffy that wanted to be the King.

"You know, I wonder where Ace is," Sanji said, looking around.

"It's probable that they haven't met yet. Ace is his step brother, so he might come in later," Robin said.

"You're so smart, Robin," Sanji said as he comically floated alongside her, hearts in his eyes. Robin simply smiled as she focused her attention on Luffy. She never thought she'd see her captain in his younger days.

Finally, they entered a cottage that was located atop a small hill with nothing around it. This was obviously where Luffy lived.

 _-o-_

 _Luffy entered the small cottage where he lived with his grandfather. As he entered, he felt the cold aura of the home try to ensnare him. However, he waved it off and went to bed with a smile on his face._

 _-o-_

As the others entered, the also felt the cold and dreary aura of the home ensnare them. They looked around uncomfortably at how empty Luffy's residence was. There were a few pictures here and there, but the faces in them seem to be blacked out.

"Why can't we see the pictures?" Usopp asked.

"I'm not sure, but it's possible that Luffy repressed what's in them - or he simply never took the time to look at them," Chopper said as he walked around.

"This place… is depressing," Brook said. His abandoned ship seemed to be livelier than Luffy's home.

Nami was just as uncomfortable. She remembered the time that she spent with Bell-mère and Nojiko, her adoptive mother and sister. Their home was always warm and happy, as opposed to how Luffy's home felt. There weren't any paintings or the like hung on the wall - it was simply an empty shell.

"He lives here all alone," she whispered as she watched Luffy's prone and resting form.

"It's really dusty," Robin observed as she looked around the home. It obviously hadn't been cleaned in a while.

"I don't expect Luffy to clean, and I doubt that Garp is ever around enough to clean. Makino probably comes around once in a while, if I had to guess," Zoro said.

"I feel so sad for Luffy. It really looks like his grandpa is his guardian, but he's barely around," Chopper said as he sat on the edge of the bed.

The others were simply quiet. Soon, the memory started to change yet again. They found themselves in Makino's bar.

"At least we get to see that vision again," Sanji exclaimed happily.

 _-o-_

 _Luffy was sitting on a stool at Partys Bar and kicked the air with his legs. Suddenly, the door burst open and Mayor Woop Slap entered. He was chalk white and breathless._

" _Mayor? What's wrong?" Makino asked worriedly as she took Luffy in her arms. Luffy seemed to be curious as well._

" _P-p-pirates! Pirates are here!" Woop Slap said._

" _Alright! Pirates!" Luffy exclaimed as he tried to jump out of Makino's arms. However, she kept a grip on him. She sat him at the bar and looked at him gently, but sternly._

" _I know you're excited, Luffy. But let's see if they're the good or bad kind first, okay? Promise me you'll stay here," Makino said as she held her pinky out for him. Luffy looked as though he was about to argue, but Makino presented him with some meat - which promptly saw him shake it. He went to the bar and began to happily dig in. Not long after, he fell into a nap._

 _-o-_

"So he finally hears that pirates have come to his hometown… and she sways him with meat. If nothing else, at least we know we can convince him to do anything with food," Sanji said with a sigh.

"I wonder who these pirates are?" Usopp said.

"I have a clue," Zoro said, smirking. There was one pirate that Luffy respected above all others - the one that gave Luffy his dream.

"Who are they?" Robin asked, curious.

"We should see in a bit," Zoro said as they memory changed yet again - signifying that Luffy had woken up.

"Is it me, or did it get louder?" Usopp asked.

"I think the pirates have taken over the bar," Nami said as she looked around.

"Wow. These guys?" Franky asked, obviously unimpressed with the pirates that were laying around, passed out with their drinks in front of them.

The crew zeroed in on Luffy, who quietly rose up to the bar and approached a particular pirate that was resting his head on it.

 _-o-_

" _Are they the pirates, Makino?" Luffy asked in awe as he approached the one closest to him. The man had tannish skin and his red hair fell around his head. He had three scars that ran above and below his left eye, as well as a small goatee. He wore a familiar straw hat._

 _-o-_

"HEY! THAT'S LUFFY'S HAT!" Chopper exclaimed, his hooves flying to his mouth.

"This must be where he got it from! I can't wait to see this!" Usopp said excitedly.

"That man… that's Red-Haired Shanks," Robin said, observing him.

"He's one of the Four Emperors?" Sanji asked, obviously not impressed at the sight.

"This memory is from more than a decade ago. It's likely he wasn't one of the Four Emperors yet," Robin explained.

"This should be interesting," Zoro noted. He always wanted to see the man that had such an influence on Luffy - undoubtedly the most influence.

 _-o-_

" _Yup. The Red Hair Pirates, from the Grand Line," Makino said as she looked at Shanks. She was blushing slightly, although Luffy didn't notice._

 _He gently poked Shanks' face. Shanks stirred a bit but didn't wake up._

" _They don't look so tough," Luffy said._

" _Don't poke him, Luffy," Makino said, although she giggled slightly. Luffy set his eyes on the straw hat and began to reach for it. As soon as he touched it, though, Shanks' hand grabbed his wrist. Luffy was terrified, but couldn't speak._

" _What do you think you're doing, kid?" Shanks growled as he raised his head and looked at Luffy. Finally, Luffy screamed in terror as he wrested his arm from Shanks' hand. This got the attention of the other pirates in the bar, who turned to him. Makino looked worried, hoping Luffy hadn't angered them. Luffy composed himself quickly, however, and put his hands up._

" _You want a piece of me, old man?!" Luffy asked._

 _There was a moment of pause._

 _The entire bar broke into laughter._

 _-o-_

"Still as eager to fight as ever," Nami sighed as she shook her head. Robin simply giggled at how ready Luffy was to pick a fight with someone he just met.

"Now this I'd like to see. Red-Haired Shanks vs. Monkey D. Luffy," Franky said as he howled in laughter.

Zoro and Sanji snickered at their captains fighting stance. Shanks was at least three or four times his height, not to mention a legendary pirate - yet in front of him, ready to fight, was a six or seven-year-old boy who didn't have his Devil Fruit powers. Even then, he evidently didn't care about how strong his foes were - he'd fight them nonetheless.

 _-o-_

" _You sure you're ready for this, boss? This doesn't look like a kid you wanna mess with," said Lucky Roo. He sported a wide, toothy grin and wore a green and white striped bandana and shirt, a blue sash around his waist, and khaki shorts. In his hand was a large chunk of meat that he held by the bone._

" _Easy, captain. It's a kid," said Benn Beckman, Shanks's first mate. The tallest member of the crew, Beckman was an imposing figure. In his hand, he held a long rifle that he often used as a club. He was chewing on a branch as his long hair was tied in a ponytail that went down his back. He wore a black shirt and black slacks and observed Luffy closely._

 _The situation caught the eye of another of the crew as well, who looked up from his drink. He was tan and wearing a blue shirt and black slacks. His blond hair fell around his head, almost to his shoulders. Around his head, he wore a bandana that read "Yasopp". At his side rested a pistol and a flintlock, his trusty weapons._

 _-o-_

"Dad?!" Usopp exclaimed as he rushed over to the man.

"Wow! That's your dad?!" Chopper exclaimed. The other crew members came over as well, eager to see what Usopp's father looked like.

"You never mentioned that your father was part of Shanks's crew!" Franky said.

"It never came up. Wow, I haven't seen him in forever," Usopp said, mouth slightly open as he observed his father - who broke into a grin as he looked at Luffy confronting Shanks.

"He looks super cool, Usopp!" Chopper said, stars in his eyes.

"Well of course. Look who his son is," Usopp proudly stated.

Nami rolled her eyes but was happy for Usopp that he got to see him. She remembered the story that Daddy the Father had told her and Usopp on Loguetown two years ago about his encounter with Yasopp. She looked interestedly at the man as well - widely regarded as the best sniper.

 _-o-_

 _As Shanks finally came to his senses, he grinned as well._

" _Is this your kid brother, Makino?" Shanks asked._

" _I wish. This is Luffy. I look after him when his grandfather is out working," Makino said as she ruffled Luffy's hair fondly._

" _Who are you, old man?" Luffy asked._

 _-o-_

"Well, his manners haven't changed since he was a child," Nami sighed as Brook and Franky held on to each other for support, both trying not to collapse from laughter. There was something hilarious in the rudeness of their captain.

"He does get straight to the point," Robin said fondly as she observed her captain question Shanks.

"If this was any other pirate, they'd have killed Luffy by now," Zoro said.

"Zoro! Don't say stuff like that!" Chopper yelled.

"Relax, Chopper. I said if it was any other pirate," Zoro stated.

"Ah, our captain. What a figure," Brook said as he finally calmed down, although he was hunched over from laughing so hard.

 _-o-_

" _I'm not old!" Shanks loudly retorted._

" _Everyone's old to him, captain," Yasopp said as he laughed from his chair. The rest of the pirates joined in on the laughter. Makino smiled as she went back to work, keeping a close eye on Luffy._

" _Gonna answer me?!" Luffy yelled at Shanks who couldn't help but break into a smile as well._

 _-o-_

"Oh God. This is amazing," Franky said as he continued to laugh. The rest of the crew broke into giggles and laughter as well. This was the Luffy they knew and loved.

 _-o-_

" _I'm a pirate, kid. The name is Shanks. That's Benn Beckmann, that's Yasopp, that's Lucky Roo," Shanks said as he pointed to some of his cremates who nodded and smiled at Luffy._

" _Wow, you ARE pirates! That's so cool!" Luffy said as he sat down and dropped his fighting stance._

 _-o-_

"And just like our Luffy, it's easy to break his concentration. Just one moment ago, he's getting ready to fight, and now he's ready to make friends," Usopp said.

"It's one of his best traits, I think," Robin said, smiling. She had to admit that this was a characteristic that was so far unique to Luffy - at least to this drastic a degree. One minute he could be fighting to the death with someone, and the next he could be their best friend. His charisma was second to none from what she had seen so far - one couldn't help but like him. She found him under his spell since their first encounter when he broke the Eternal Pose she had given them. It was this particular trait that allowed Luffy to let her join the Straw Hats so easily. Most other pirates would've had her killed or refused her outright; but not Luffy. He accepted her without hesitation.

 _-o-_

" _That's right," Shanks said as he took a sip of his drink._

" _My names Monkey D. Luffy! Sorry for trying to take your hat, Shanks," Luffy said with a grin._

" _It's alright, kid. This hat is special to me. It's my treasure. That's why I reacted how I did," Shanks said as he put his hat on._

" _Your treasure?" Luffy asked._

" _Yup. Anyways, should you really be here? In a bar, with pirates, at night?" Shanks asked._

" _Where else am I gonna go? Grandpa's out, and I always spend time with Makino!" Luffy said. Makino smiled at him and ruffled his hair again._

" _What about your parents? I'm sure they're worried," Shanks said._

" _Don't have any. Just me and grandpa, when he's here," Luffy said. The other pirates looked on in surprise a bit - as did Shanks as he looked intently at Luffy. He exchanged glances with Makino, whose smile fell a bit._

" _What's your grandpa doing?" Shanks asked curiously as he took another sip._

" _He's a marine. He's gonna be away for a year," Luffy said._

 _-o-_

"That idiot. You don't just tell pirates that a Marine hero is going to be away for a year!" Nami said, shaking her head at her captain.

"Well, that's Luffy. Honest as ever," Zoro said with a sigh.

"Also another endearing trait," Robin said, smiling.

 _-o-_

" _A marine?!" Lucky Roo exclaimed as meat went flying from his mouth._

" _A year?!" Yasopp exclaimed. Shanks calmly finished his drink before turning to Luffy._

" _You said your names Monkey D. Luffy, right kid?" Shanks asked._

" _Yup!" Luffy answered brightly._

" _Any relation to Monkey D. Garp?" Shanks asked._

" _That's my grandpa!" Luffy responded._

" _GARP IS YOUR GRANDFATHER?!" Yasopp exclaimed._

" _GARP IS THE FATHER OF YOUR FATHER?!" Lucky Roo exclaimed._

" _SOME WOMAN SLEPT WITH GARP?!" Shanks asked as he comically lost his demeanor and joined his crew in the shock._

 _Only Benn Beckman looked on intently, not showing any signs of surprise._

 _-o-_

"Apparently Garp is so insane, even legendary pirates are surprised by him," Franky said with a chuckle.

"Well, it's to be expected. Rayleigh mentioned that Shanks was on Rogers crew. It stands to reason he had some run-ins with Garp," Robin said.

"Yeah, but you have to be a special kind of man to make a pirate react like that," Sanji said.

"Garp is about as special as they come," Zoro said, shaking his head.

"… Can't argue with that," Usopp added lamely. He still had the odd nightmare about the ball and chain.

 _-o-_

" _What's wrong?" Luffy asked innocently. The pirates looked at each other before they sat back down. Shanks collected himself before talking to Luffy._

" _Nothing. Just surprised. I had a few run-ins with the old man when I was younger," Shanks said with a grin._

" _Grandpa wants me to be a Marine. But I want to be a pirate!" Luffy declared as he stood up on the bar. The pirates burst into laughter again, with Shanks joining in._

" _Why do you wanna be a pirate, kid?" Shanks asked, grinning._

" _Pirates are free and have fun! Marines are BORING!" Luffy explained as if it was the simplest thing ever._

" _Can't argue with that. A pirates life for me!" Shanks yelled to his crew._

" _A pirates life for me!" the responded._

 _-o-_

"They certainly are a lively bunch," Nami said, smiling.

"Just like us!" Chopper said.

"A pirates life for me!" Usopp shouted with hand raised.

"A pirates life for me!" the rest of the crew agreed happily, even Robin.

 _-o-_

" _What kind of pirates are you?" Luffy asked._

" _What do you mean?" Shanks asked._

" _I mean are you the good or bad? Mayor says all pirates are bad, but Makino said that people are bad. So if some people are good, and they're pirates, they're good pirates!" Luffy exclaimed. Shanks and Makino exchanged a smile before Shanks spoke to Luffy again._

" _A lot of pirates are bad, Luffy. But Makino is right. It depends on the person. For example, a lot pirates see their crew as people to use. These guys aren't just my crew - they're my family. We're pirates because we love the sea and we love adventure, not because we want to hurt people - that's what brings us together. A lot of pirates do what they do for gold or riches. We do what we do because we love it. We're not good or bad; we just are and we have fun being us," Shanks explained kindly. Luffy hung on to each word that Shanks said with awe inscribed on his face. His crew raised their glasses in agreement, with Beckman joining in on the fun as well - he couldn't have explained it any better if he tried._

 _-o-_

"That was beautiful!" Franky cried out as tears welled in his eyes. Shanks had captured what it meant to be a Straw Hat Pirate perfectly.

"Truly a wonderful man! I can't wait to see him with my own eyes - IF I HAD ANY! YOHOHOHOHO!" Brook cried out, as he joined Franky in waterworks. He knew exactly where Shanks was coming from. After all, adventure, fun, and the bonds between his crew were the reasons he set out in the first place. This was a man that he respected. He reminded him of his own captain, Yorki. Brook was happy to know that there were at least some pirates in the world that understood what it meant to be free and adventurous on the open seas.

"That was well put. I now see where Luffy got his pirate philosophy from," Robin said. She could now see why Luffy looked up to Shanks as a role model. They were strikingly similar in some respects - both were kind and gentle hearted and both viewed piracy as something to be enjoyed with a crew that was like a family. Neither was interested in conquering lands or finding riches.

"I see a lot of Shanks in Luffy," Nami said, smiling at the warm scene as it unfolded in front of her. Zoro already knew the important influence Shanks had on Luffy, yet he couldn't help but smile. This was the man that imbued in Luffy an unshakeable desire to become the King of Pirates.

"I suppose we owe Shanks a thank you. If it wasn't for him, Luffy might've turned out a different kind of pirate," Usopp said, still looking on in awe.

"Shanks is so cool!" Chopper said, stars in his eyes. Sanji's stance on Shanks softened. His respect for the mans philosophy went up.

"He really is," Nami agreed, with the rest of the crew nodding in agreement. They were all eager to come across him now.

 _-o-_

 _After Shanks finished, Luffy gave him a large grin._

" _Then it's decided! I'm gonna be joining your crew, Shanks!" Luffy declared._

 _-o-_

"Well that was quick," Nami said with a smile.

"Is anyone else getting déjà vu? This is how quickly he asked some of us to join, isn't it?" Zoro asked.

"Well, he was fairly quick to accept me as a member," Robin said with a smile.

"He barely even met Brook before he asked him," Sanji said as he pointed to the skeleton.

"If Shanks was as accepting as Luffy, we all might've been on a very different path, it seems," Robin added - shuddering imperceptibly as she thought about where her life would be now had she not joined the Straw Hats.

 _-o-_

" _What?!" Shanks asked, surprised. Yasopp and Lucky Roo were holding back their laughter as Benn Beckman moved forward a bit._

" _What? I said I'm gonna be joining you!" Luffy said._

 _-o-_

"Of course. Luffy doesn't even ask! He tells Shanks he's joining and expects him to agree to it," Nami said, shaking her head but smiling.

"That's our captain," Franky said with a grin.

"The best captain!" Chopper exclaimed. At that, everyone looked at each other and grinned. Chopper was right - there was no other person that they would follow. Luffy was it for them.

 _-o-_

" _No way, kid. You're ten years to young to be joining us," Shanks said with a grin._

" _NO I'M NOT! I'M GROWN UP! I CAN SURVIVE IN A RAVINE AND IN A JUNGLE AND IN THE AIR! I CAN SURVIVE ANYWHERE!" Luffy declared. Shanks looked at Makino in curiosity. She sighed as she began explaining to the crew._

" _Garp has been training Luffy to be a Marine. As part of his training, Garp threw him in a ravine, into the jungle, and tied balloons that carried him into the air to build his stamina and endurance," Makino said sadly._

 _This caught the crew by surprise._

" _Is Garp insane?!" Shanks asked, slightly angry, his mouth agape._

" _We already know he is, captain," Beckman said, also surprised at how much Garp put Luffy through. Shanks turned back to Luffy._

" _Still to young, Luffy," Shanks said, although he looked at Luffy with a keener interest._

" _But I can take care of myself!" Luffy hotly declared. Shanks just grinned and shook his head._

" _Luffy, it's getting late. You should go get some sleep, alright?" Makino said sweetly._

" _But Makino…," Luffy said as his eyes darted to the parts._

" _Don't worry, kid. We'll be here for a while," Shanks said. Luffy perked up at that and nodded. He jumped down from the bar and started to head out._

" _See you later, Shanks!" he cried happily. Shanks couldn't help but chuckle at his energy._

 _-o-_

"That was precious," Nami said.

"It appears as though we'll soon see how Luffy got started on his journey. I'm interested in seeing how he got his hat. It's an integral part of his character," Robin said.

"I'm happy we get to learn more about Shanks. He's awesome!" Chopper said, stars still in his eyes as he reeled from how cool Shanks was.

The memory began to fade and they found themselves outside Partys Bar. Luffy was standing close to Yasopp, who had his pistol prime and was looking straight ahead.

 _-o-_

 _One of the pirates threw an apple into the air, a good hundred yards from where Yasopp and Luffy were standing. With a grin, Yasopp shot the apple. If one blinked, they would've missed the motion and wouldn't have noticed anything until the sound of the shot reached their ears._

" _Woah! Good shot!" Luffy said excitedly._

" _Eh. That's nothing. I can shoot an ant between the eyes from across town," Yasopp said with a grin._

 _They both went inside the bar and Yasopp got a drink, which he proceeded to down. A little rosy around the cheeks, he slung his arm around Luffy and grinned._

" _You know something, Luffy? I got… a little kid named Usopp! He's just about your age!" Yasopp said, slurring a bit._

" _You told me about him already! A hundred times!" Luffy said as he comically pushed Yasopp away._

" _A hundred? Well, to bad! I'm telling you again!" Yasopp said excitedly as he put the empty mug over Luffy's head and hopped atop a table._

" _It broke my heart to leave! But I had to go… You see Luffy, when the pirate flag beckons, you must heed its calllllll!" Yasopp cried excitedly, raising his hands in the air like a champion._

" _YEAH!" his friends responded, all in agreement._

" _Wooo-oooo!" Yasopp exclaimed. He took a seat next to Luffy and began to regale him with his stories._

" _My kid… Usopp! He got his moms nose, and his dads good looks! I tell you, Luffy… that kid is gonna be a hell of a shot one day! It's in his blood after all!" Yasopp said excitedly._

 _-o-_

Usopp grinned wide at these words. His father was right - he was a hell of a shot. Hell, he thought he could give his old man a run for his money right now.

"Wow, Usopp! Your dad is so cool! Did you see how he shot that apple?!" Chopper asked, stars in his eyes.

"Well, he is the father of proud warrior Usopp!" Usopp declared happily. The others held back and smiled as they saw Usopps excitement at seeing his father.

"Happy to see your dad?" Nami asked after a pause, smiling.

"You bet! God… it's been so long," Usopp said as he wiped away a tear.

After a few moments, the memory changed again.

 _-o-_

 _Shanks and Luffy were sitting on a boardwalk, fishing rods in their hands. Shanks seemed to be at an easy peace; Luffy, however, was getting restless._

" _Stupid fish! Come on!" he yelled at the water. Shanks let out a loud laugh at that._

" _Luffy, they're not gonna come because you yell at them," he said with a grin. Luffy grumbled and nodded before trying to regain his patience._

 _-o-_

"Luffy fishing? No chance in hell," Usopp lamented. Luffy was far to restless to take up a hobby that required saintlike levels of patience.

"Yeah, not sure what Shanks was thinking here," Sanji observed.

"He's probably opening Luffy up to new experiences," Robin offered as she observed the scene with a smile.

 _-o-_

" _Hey, Shanks?" Luffy suddenly piped up._

" _What's up, Luffy?" Shanks replied._

" _Do you enjoy being a pirate?" Luffy asked._

" _It's the best thing I can think of, Luffy. Out there, on the open sea with my friends. We're like family out there. Adventures, meeting new people, seeing new places… I can't think of anything better," Shanks said with a smile._

 _-o-_

"A true pirate!" Brook said happily. He was glad to see that there were still some pirates who remembered what the world used to be like, before the Great Pirate Era. Pirates were seen as adventurers rather than bloodthirsty mongrels. It was a time he truly missed, although he wouldn't give anything to have it back; no, he enjoyed sailing with Luffy and the others far to much to even give credence to the thought.

"What a cool guy," Chopper said, stars in his eyes. The others looked on with a smile as well; their philosophies were in line with Shanks's.

 _-o-_

" _WELL THEN WHY WON'T YOU TAKE ME?!" Luffy whined loudly. Shanks chuckled at that, knowing this was where the question would lead._

" _You're way to young, Luffy. Maybe in ten years," Shanks said with a grin. Luffy grumbled at that, not understanding Shanks's train of thought._

" _Hey, Luffy?" Shanks said after a long pause._

" _Yeah?" Luffy replied._

" _Your grandpa - does he leave home like this often?" Shanks asked._

" _Yeah, a lot. I don't think he's ever been gone away this long, though," Luffy said, racking his brain._

" _So what do you do in that time?" Shanks asked._

" _Training! Grandpa always tests me when I get back, so I try to train a lot. And then I spend a lot of time at Makino's. She makes the best food," Luffy said, mouth watering. Shanks chuckled at that, but he seemed to be lost in thought._

 _-o-_

"I wonder what he's thinking?" Nami asked.

"Likely about how absent of a grandfather Garp is. Shanks seemed the most shocked when Luffy mentioned he'd be gone for a year," Robin said.

 _-o-_

" _I'm sure your grandfather just wants the best for you," Shanks said, finally coming to._

" _Grandpa wants me to be a marine! But I don't want to be a marine! I'd have to follow orders all day and do what they tell me to do and train even more. I want to have fun! I'm gonna be a pirate!" Luffy exclaimed happily, his hands shooting into the air._

" _A pirates life isn't all fun and games, Luffy. It's hard; most pirates probably give up, burn out, or die in the first few years," Shanks said._

" _I don't care. I don't ever give up Shanks. And if I die, I die," Luffy declared, his eyes suddenly focused on the water. Shanks opened his mouth to speak but closed it quickly as he looked on at Luffy with an intense stare. Luffy held the rod tightly, a grin on his face as something finally took the bit. As he wrestled with it with an intense gaze, Shanks smiled and turned to his own rod._

 _-o-_

"That's quite the outlook for someone so young. Even now, he doesn't seem concerned with the concept of death. Intriguing," Robin said as she also focused intensely on Luffy.

"Looks like the gears are turning in Shank's head as well," Brook added, looking at Shanks. The others looked at him as well; there was something in his smile that gave the impression that he wasn't letting on as much as he knew.

"I wonder what he's thinking?" Nami wondered aloud.

"Rayleigh mentioned that Shanks noted similarities between Roger and Luffy. I believe that might be it. It seems as though he's seeing a bit of his old captain in Luffy," Robin offered.

"I wonder if Roger was as insane as Luffy?" Sanji asked with a sigh. The others thought on that before the memory suddenly began to change again.

"WOW! Is this the Red Force?" Usopp asked excitedly as they found themselves on Shanks's ship.

"Na. This ship is way to small to be the Red Force. Probably what they had before," Franky said as he observed it.

"There's Luffy," Robin said, pointing to younger Luffy who was standing atop the masthead of Shanks's ship, knife in hand.

"What's that idiot doing?" Sanji asked.

 _-o-_

 _Luffy bared his teeth as he stood atop a crate, wearing a white shirt labeled "Anchor" along with a picture of an anchor, blue shorts, and sandals. In his knife, he held a knife. The rest of the Red Hair Pirates laughed as they saw the sight._

" _I'm not joking this time, Shanks! I've had enough! I'll prove to you all that I'm tough!"_

" _Ha ha! Go for it! Let's see what you'll do!" Shanks cried out with a grin on his face, curious as to what Luffy was going to do now._

" _Luffy's gonna do something funny again, guys. Watch this," an unnamed crew member said._

 _Suddenly, however, Luffy stuck the knife under his left eye, shocking everyone._

 _-o-_

"WHAT'RE YOU DOING, LUFFY?!" Chopper exclaimed in terror. The rest of the crew was just as stricken, except for Zoro and Robin.

"I see. So that's how he got that scar," Robin stated.

"He stabbed himself with a knife!" Nami shrieked in terror.

"THAT IDIOT!" Sanji said, recoiling slightly.

 _-o-_

" _WHAT?!" the pirates screamed at the same time. Obviously, none of them expected this show of idiocy._

" _OWWWW!" Luffy yelled._

" _You IDIOT! What the hell are you doing?!" Shanks yelled, as terrified as the rest of his crew at what Luffy did._

" _It hurts!" Luffy yelled._

 _-o-_

"… How did I end up calling him my captain?" Sanji lamented as he brought a hand to his head. Really, how did he end up following Luffy? If he lacked any more brain cells, he might as well be dead.

"I… have no clue," Usopp answered meekly.

"Well… that… was interesting," Brook unsurely stated.

"That IDIOT!" Nami stated, repeating Sanji's sentiment from before.

"I thought it was hilarious," Zoro stated blankly as Robin giggled a bit.

The memory changed and they were back in Partys Bar.

 _-o-_

" _Let's drink and celebrate! To Luffy's insanity, and our greatness!" A pirate yelled. The rest off the crew agreed with the statement and raised their glasses._

" _More sake!" another pirate yelled. Makino smiled and brought out some more._

" _It didn't hurt one bit," Luffy said, tears in his eyes._

" _Liar! Don't do anything that stupid again!" Shanks yelled comically, although he was laughing a bit as well._

" _I'm not afraid of pain, Shanks! Come on, take me with you!" Luffy said._

 _-o-_

"It appears that Luffy did that because he wanted to show Shanks he can handle pain, hoping he would take him out to sea," Robin said.

"Man, I could go for some sake," Zoro said, ignoring Robin's comment as he focused on the drink.

 _-o-_

" _Luffy, you have been trained by your grandpa, but I had to fish you out of the water yesterday. You can't swim! Not being able to swim is a pirates greatest weakness!" Shanks said with a laugh._

" _I just won't fall in the water, then!" Luffy hotly declared._

 _-o-_

"Luffy couldn't swim before eating a Devil Fruit?" Robin asked in surprise.

"That is shocking. Considering how much of the world is water, kids learn to swim right alongside walking and talking," Nami said.

"At least it's not something he had to give up when he ate his Devil Fruit," Zoro said.

"I don't know if I could give that up," Franky said. He loved swimming way to much to not be able to do it again.

"Likewise," Sanji said. He loved the water - and the girls that came with it - to much to give up swimming.

"Reindeers can't swim, so it doesn't bother me," Chopper piped.

"And I can run on water, so it's not a problem for me," Brook said.

"How about you, Robin?" Nami asked.

"I enjoyed swimming before eating my Devil Fruit. But it's been so long, I can't say for sure one way or the other. However, my powers have come in useful far more than my ability to swim could have so far, so there's no love lost, I suppose," Robin said.

"Don't worry, Robin dear! I'll be here to save you if you ever fall in the water!" Sanji said with hearts in his eyes.

"Why thank you," Robin said, flashing him a sweet smile. This was enough to make Sanji pass out in a daze.

"SANJI!" Chopper exclaimed as he went to help his friend.

"Pathetic," Zoro sighed.

 _-o-_

" _Besides, I can fight as well! My punches are like pistols!" Luffy said as he punched the air in front of him._

" _Pistol? Really?" Shanks asked in a bored and sarcastic manner._

" _WHAT KIND OF TONE IS THAT?!" Luffy yelled. Nearby, Makino giggled. She had never seen Luffy as happy as he had been around Shanks. The man was obviously a good influence on him._

" _You seem unhappy, Luffy!" yelled one of the crew members. He locked arms with another, who did so with another, and so on a few more times._

" _Be happy to face anything!" another pirate yelled out._

" _Yeah! A pirate's life is great!" Lucky Roo said._

" _The is sea wide and deep; you go to any island and seek… ADVENTURE!" another pirate said._

" _Nothing is greater than freedom!" the last pirate ended on a singsong note._

 _Luffy, for his part, stared at the pirates as if they were the coolest things he had ever seen._

" _Don't convince him even more, guys," Shanks sighed with a spoon in his mouth._

" _It's the truth, right?" Lucky Roo asked a crew member._

" _Right!" the man replied._

" _Hey, captain. Why do you take him with us one time? It's not a big deal!" one of the members asked._

" _Yeah, I agree," another cremate said._

" _Yeah!" Luffy agreed._

" _Well, next time one of you stay off and let him take your place," shanks said, his back turned but smiling._

" _We've said enough! Let's party!" Lucky Roo said._

" _Some friends you are," Luffy deadpanned._

" _Like I said before, Luffy. You're to young. Wait another ten years, and then I'll reconsider taking you out to sea with me," Shanks said, grinning._

" _Damn it, Shanks! I'm not a kid anymore!" Luffy yelled._

" _Don't be so angry, Luffy. Here, have some juice," Shanks said, sliding him a glass._

" _Oh wow, thanks Shanks!" Luffy happily said, taking the juice in his hands and tilting it back._

" _HA! I don't know one pirate that drinks juice!" Shanks cried in laughter, tears in his eyes. Makino joined in on the laughter, unable to stop herself._

" _WHAT A DIRTY TRICK!" Luffy cried out._

 _-o-_

"These guys know how to have a good time," Franky said with a grin. He, Brook, and Usopp locked arms as they began to sing along to the pirates.

"I drink juice all the time. What's wrong with that?" Chopper asked Robin innocently.

"It's an adult thing," Robin said as she smiled warmly at him.

 _-o-_

" _Hmph! I even cut myself and he won't agree!" Luffy said as he walked over to Benn with his juice._

" _Luffy," Benn said, getting his attention._

" _You should try to understand what the captain is feeling," Benn continued, lighting a long cigarette._

" _Understand Shank's feelings?" Luffy asked, curious._

" _Yeah. Shanks is our leader, after all. He knows that being a pirate is fun and interesting. But, he also know's that a pirates life is hard and dangerous. It's not all fun and games. He's not teasing you about becoming a pirate on purpose. It's not easy to survive on the seas," Benn said kindly._

 _-o-_

"Obviously the smartest member of the crew," Nami said.

"That's Benn Beckman, first mate of the Red Hair Pirates," Zoro said.

"So he's a badass?" Franky asked.

"That's what I've heard. He's supposed to be really smart and powerful. I heard that he stopped Kizaru from attacking Luffy at Marineford when they escaped," Zoro said.

At that, everyones heart fell.

"Marineford…," Robin said uneasily.

"Do you think… that we'll see it all?" Nami asked nervously. She knew what happened there - she had less than zero desire to see the events unfold before her eyes. She wasn't sure if she would be able to take it. Luffy had been there for her and the others when they needed him most; yet the one time he needed help, they were no where to be found.

"I don't know," Zoro stated. He felt uncomfortable about seeing that. Hawkeye had told him that Luffy saw Ace die. He wondered if that meant they would see it as well?

"Guys… I don't feel so good about this anymore," Usopp said, his voice rising a few octaves.

"There's no going back now," Robin firmly stated. They chose their path - they'd have to stick to it now.

"But…," Usopp began but stopped as Robin looked at him. He knew there was no turning back - they'd have to man up and watch what happened.

 _-o-_

" _Do you understand now?" Benn asked._

" _I don't understand! Shanks just doesn't take me seriously!" Luffy said as he looked at Shanks and pointed._

" _Can't swim!" Shanks yelled happily._

" _SEE?!" Luffy asked Beckman, who sighed but smiled._

" _You seem to be in a good mood as always, captain," Makino said with a warm smile._

" _You know it, Makino. Making fun of Luffy is my favorite thing to do," Shanks said with a laugh._

" _See how happy he is, Benn?" Luffy lamented, still pointing at Shanks._

" _Luffy, want some cake?" Makino asked as she brought out another barrel for the pirates._

" _Thanks Makino! I'll pay you back for everything with my treasure!" Luffy said happily as he approached the counter._

" _What treasure? Are you lying again?" Shanks asked teasingly._

" _NO! I'm definitely gonna be a pirate, Shanks. And I'm gonna pay Makino with the treasure that I find!" Luffy said as he held a fork and knife in his hands._

" _Haha! I'll be waiting, Luffy!" Makino said with a light hearted laugh as Luffy excitedly waited for his food._

 _-o-_

"Hey Nami, you should set aside some of our gold for Makino. Taking care of Luffy for all those years… I think she deserves it," Usopp said with a sigh.

"Yeah, I will. I just shudder to think what the tab would be. Remember, Luffy can eat an entire villages three month supply of food," Nami said.

"When did this happen?" Robin asked surprised.

"We were on Whiskey Peak with a bunch of Baroque Works agents. He ate literally all the food they had," Nami said. Robin giggled at the sight of Luffy inhaling everything. She wasn't to surprised, however; Luffy stored food like a camel stored water.

"Luffy isn't the kind of man to break promises. Watch him already have some treasure set aside with which he'll pay Makino when he sees her again," Zoro said. He was almost sure of it.

 _-o-_

" _Hey, Shanks?" Luffy asked._

" _Yeah?" Shanks asked._

" _How much longer are you guys gonna stay?"_

" _Well, it's already been close to a year since we used the town as our base. We'll set sail a few more times, then we'll leave and north," Shanks said._

" _A few more times," Luffy said as he slowed his eating. Makino gave him a said smile as she exchanged glances with Shanks. Over the past year, Luffy had become extremely close with Shanks and his crew. In fact, by this point, Shanks was like a father or brother figure to Luffy._

 _-o-_

The crew noticed Luffy's change in demeanor.

"Wow, they stayed there a year?" Usopp asked.

"It does seem to be rather long. Most pirates stick around for a few weeks or months before moving," Sanji said.

"I thinks Shanks enjoyed having Luffy around, which led him to stay there a while longer. They seem to have a father-son or older brother-younger brother type of relationship," Robin observed.

"It's so cute," Nami cooed.

"Well, we all know how important Shanks is to Luffy. It makes sense that he stayed a while," Zoro added.

"I'm kind of surprised he didn't take him along," Franky said.

"Like he mentioned, being a pirate isn't all fun and adventure. Remember, Luffy is seven or eight right now. He's to young to be a full fledged pirate," Robin said.

 _-o-_

" _I'll learn to swim before you leave," Luffy mumbled._

" _Good luck," Shanks said with a grin._

 _Suddenly, one of the doors burst open, with one side flying off the hinge. Everyone except Shanks turned to look at the new arrivals._

 _-o-_

"Who're these clowns?" Zoro asked, eyes narrowed.

"Trouble, it seems," Robin replied, eyes narrowing as well.

 _-o-_

" _Excuse me!" said a tall man wearing white robes with a black overcoat as he walked in._

" _Ha… so these are pirates, huh? It's the first time I've seen any. They look pretty dumb to me," the man said in a menacing voice. The Red Hairs simply observed but none of them made a comment._

 _-o-_

"Yeah, well you look pretty dumb yourself!" Usopp replied haughtily, standing in front of the man.

"He can't hear you, but I can't say I disagree," Sanji said.

 _-o-_

 _Luffy started at the new arrival, who approached the bar._

" _I'm Higuma, and we're bandits," the leader states. his dark hair fell around his face as he lazily observed the patrons of the bar before turning to Makino._

" _We're not here to cause trouble. We just want to buy 10 barrels of sake," he said to Makino._

" _I'm sorry, but we're all out of sake," Makino replied, slightly nervous._

" _Is that so? I see these men enjoying their drinks. Is that water in their cups?" Higuma asked._

" _It's sake, but it's the last of it," Makino replied._

" _My apologies, gentlemen. It seems as though we've finished all the sake here. Sorry about that. If you don't mind, you can have the last bottle. It hasn't even been opened yet," Shanks said happily, offering Higuma the bottle._

 _-o-_

"What a swell guy!" Franky exclaimed.

"If this was Luffy, he'd probably have punched the guy out by now," Nami sighed.

"We might see that yet," Sanji said.

 _-o-_

 _Higuma gave Shanks a dirty look before he punched the glass, spraying Shanks with shards and sake._

 _-o-_

"WHAT A PRICK!" Nami exclaimed angrily.

"That's was completely uncalled for!" Brook said.

"I hope Shanks beats the crap out of this guy!" Franky said angrily.

"Come on, Shanks!" Usopp said.

"Let's go, Shanks!" Chopper agreed.

 _-o-_

" _Who do you think I am? Don't take me so lightly. One bottle is not enough. See this?" Higuma asked as he held up a wanted poster. It was his face, with a bounty of eight million beri underneath it._

" _My head is worth eight million beri. I'm one of the most wanted fugitives here. I've killed 56 people before you, you cocky bastard," Higuma said._

 _-o-_

"Wow, eight million, huh?" Nami remarked sarcastically.

"Luffy could send this guy flying with a punch," Sanji said.

"I wonder what Shanks is gonna do?" Zoro asked.

 _-o-_

" _Now that you know who I am, don't mess with us again. After all, pirates and bandits don't mingle well," Higuma said._

" _Now the floor is all wet. Sorry about that, Makino. Got a rag?" Shanks asked as he knelt down to pick up the glass, ignoring Higuma._

" _Don't wor-," Makino began but stopped as Higuma pulled out a sword and swept the counter with it, breaking the glasses atop it. Shanks lost his balance and fell back against the counter, his straw hat covering his eyes._

 _-o-_

"That's no way to treat a lady!" Sanji yelled as he kicked through Higuma's incorporeal figure. He kept trying to do so, knowing it wouldn't work.

"I hope Shanks beats these pricks down!" Nami yelled, also angry at how they were treating Makino.

 _-o-_

" _It seems as though you enjoy cleaning. At least now you can enjoy it more. Let's go, men. A place with no sake is a place that isn't worth our time," Higuma said. A moment later, the bandits left._

" _Are you alright captain?" Makino asked as she rushed to Shanks, worried._

" _Not a problem in the world, Makino," Shanks said. The bar was quiet for a moment before it erupted._

" _HA! You look pretty silly down there!" Lucky Rook exclaimed happily._

" _He fixed you up pretty good, captain!" Yasopp added with a hearty laugh._

 _Shanks joined in as well, laughing as though nothing had happened._

" _HAHAHA!" he exclaimed happily as he flicked some glass off his hat._

 _-o-_

Except for Zoro, Brook, and Robin, the other Straw Hats looked baffled.

"He just let him walk all over him!" Usopp hotly declared.

"He didn't even punch the guy!" Chopper said.

"He didn't do anything!" Nami said.

"It wasn't worth it," Zoro said, smiling at Shanks. So this is where Luffy learned not react when his honor was insulted.

"What do you mean! The guy roughed him up and he didn't react!" Usopp said.

"Shanks is indeed a brave man. A weaker willed person would've reacted in a much more angry way. It's a little spilt drink. Nothing to fret over," Brook said. His respect for Shanks swelled up even further - he handled the situation like a man should.

"Not every little incident requires violence," Robin said.

"But that guy was violent!" Nami said.

"Nami, does this remind you of something?" Zoro asked.

"What do you mean?" Nami asked, looking at him quizzically.

"Jaya, remember?" Zoro asked. Nami looked at him curiously for a moment longer before her lips parted in understanding.

"When that Bellamy guy pummeled you and Luffy!" she said.

"Yeah. Luffy told me not to react, no matter what. I'm sure Shanks could've killed this guy in a second. But what would that have proved?" Zoro asked.

"But Bellamy was pounding on you guys!" Nami retorted.

"Luffy or I could've taken him out easily enough. Besides, he could barely break skin," Zoro said. Nami rolled her eyes, still not believing him.

"But shouldn't he protect his pride?!" Usopp asked.

"It'd be a waste of time and effort in this case. Not every little slight deserves a violent reaction," Brook replied.

"Very well said, Brook," Robin said.

 _-o-_

" _Why are you laughing?! That was disgraceful! Why didn't you fight him?! So what if they have more people?! Who laughs after getting picked on like that? you're not a man! you're barely a pirate!" Luffy screamed. He seemed to be taking it worst of all._

 _Shanks was blank for a second, before he smiled._

" _Look, Luffy, I know how you feel. But it's just a bottle of sake. There's nothing to get worked up about," Shanks said as he began to help Makino clean up._

" _Whatever," Luffy said. Suddenly, his eyes fell on a chest that was open. In it was a purple fruit with a swirl pattern and stem._

 _-o-_

"Luffy took that worse than Shanks," Franky noted.

"He's still a kid. Obviously, he picked up from Shanks that he doesn't need to fight everyone or everything," Zoro said.

"What're you talking about? Luffy fights literally everyone and everything!" Usopp said.

"Not really. He fought Crocodile because he threatened Vivi and Alabasta; he fought Eneru because he threatened Skypiea and it's people and after he had hurt Zoro, Wyper, and I; he fought Moria because he took so many peoples shadows. If you look at most - perhaps all - of Luffy's opponents, he fought them because they hurt people close to him," Robin said.

As everyone ingested that information, they suddenly became intrigued by something that Luffy was eating in anger.

"Wait… is that…," Robin asked, approaching the fruit.

"No way…," Zoro said, his eye wide.

 _-o-_

" _You shouldn't eat when you're angry, Luffy," Shanks said with a smile. Suddenly, a look of horror crossed his face._

" _WAIT! What're you eating?!" Shanks asked. Luffy swallowed the bite of the fruit in his mouth before he looked worriedly at Shanks._

" _NO! You didn't! Don't tell me you ate the fruit that was inside that chest?!" Shanks exclaimed. The rest of his crew looked on in surprise and horror as well, except Beckman who was stoic as ever._

" _Y-y-yeah," Luffy said nervously. Shanks took Luffy by his ankles and dangled him upside down, vigorously shaking him._

" _Spit it out! Right now! Every single bit!" Shanks yelled._

" _What're you doing! Why're you shaking me!" Luffy exclaimed in fright._

 _Suddenly, Luffy's legs extended - like rubber. He fell flat on his face and hung there for a moment._

 _-o-_

"NO WAY! ARE YOU TELLING ME THAT HE ATE THE GUM GUM FRUIT ON ACCIDENT?!" Sanji exclaimed.

"That appears to be the case," Robin said, giggling.

"I randomly ate my Devil Fruit as well," Chopper said, raising a hoof.

"So… it was literally a random coincidence… that Luffy ate his Devil Fruit," Nami said weakly.

"Mine was random as well," Robin said. Nami looked at her in surprise.

"It's true. It was in a chest that I found while I was at a tutors in Ohara. He had it laying around and I was extremely hungry, so I ate it. Imagine his surprise and shock when he found out," Robin said with a smile.

"What about you, Brook?" Usopp asked.

"I was diving with my crew when I found the fruit, although we were unsure what kind it was. All we knew was that Devil Fruits granted the eater abilities - at the cost of their ability to swim. Since I found it, I was given the choice to eat it. It was quite shocking when at first it didn't do anything. Although, I suppose it all turned out for the best," Brook said as he brought a finger to his chin and thought about the event.

"At least someone on our crew made an informed decision," Franky said with chuckle.

 _-o-_

 _After a moment, Luffy's came came back up. His face red, Luffy looked on in fear._

" _What's going on?" he asked._

" _Luffy, you just ate the Gum Gum Fruit! It's part of a group called the Devil Fruits. Eating any of them takes away your ability to swim for the rest of your life! But, the one you ate also turns your body to rubber!" Shanks said._

 _Luffy was silent for a moment._

" _NO WAY! IT CAN'T!" he screamed at the top of his lungs._

" _YOU DUMBASS!" Shanks yelled, just as loud._

 _-o-_

"That's Luffy in one word," Nami sighed, but smiled. Luffy's Gum Gum powers had saved them on countless occasions. She was truly happy that he had them.

"I'm sorry, but that's just hilarious. At least he wasn't able to swim before eating it, so it's not like he lost anything," Franky said as he wiped away a tear of laughter.

The memory changed again. Luffy was in the bar with Makino, entertaining her with how his face could now contort.

"Well, at least Luffy seems to be having a good time," Nami said.

"Nothing keeps his spirits down," Robin added.

 _-o-_

 _Makino was giggling at how Luffy could use his powers now. Finally, she gave him some milk which he began to drink happily._

" _They've been gone a while now," Luffy said, his demeanor changing._

" _Do you feel lonely, Luffy?" Makino asked._

" _No! I haven't forgiven them for not beating up those bandits yet! I overestimated Shanks. I thought he was cool… what a disappointment," Luffy said as he slumped down on the bar._

" _Really? I think that people who can laugh it off after getting picked on are really brave," Makino said._

" _That's because you don't understand! There are times when a man should fight back!" Luffy dramatically stated._

" _If you say so, Luffy," Makino said with a smile._

 _The doors suddenly opened. Higuma and his bandits walked in to the bar again._

 _-o-_

"These losers again," Zoro said. His eye narrowed yet again, as did Sanji's. Shanks wasn't here now.

 _-o-_

" _Well, looks like the pirates aren't here today," Higuma said as he took a seat. The other bandits snickered as they followed course. He turned his sight to Makino._

" _Well, what're you waiting for?! We're customers! Bring us some sake - now!" He yelled._

 _-o-_

"That's no way to speak to a lady!" Sanji snarled as he kicked Higuma in the face again.

"What. An. Asshole," Nami stated. The rest of the crew muttered in agreement, wondering where this would go.

 _-o-_

 _As Makino brought them their drinks, Luffy felt his anger rising._

" _Those pirates… I always knew they were weak," Higuma stated._

" _You showed that guy good, boss," one of his cronies said._

" _If I see his mug again, I'm gonna make him 57," Higuma said._

" _SHUT UP!" Luffy suddenly roared at them. The bandits looked at him and saw him seething in anger as he stood on the bar._

 _-o-_

"This… might not turn out well," Brook lamely stated.

"Of course he picks a fight with them when Shanks isn't around," Nami said.

"I don't get it. He was just saying how disappointed he was in Shanks a moment ago," Chopper said.

"Shanks is still his friend, so it's alright for him to say stuff like that. But, if a stranger says it? That's going to make him angry. They don't have the same relationship with Shanks that Luffy does," Zoro said.

 _-o-_

" _What did you say, brat?" Higuma asked._

" _I SAID SHUT UP! DON'T TALK ABOUT SHANKS LIKE THAT! SHANKS IS A MILLION TIMES THE MAN YOU ARE, YOU STINKING BANDIT!" Luffy roared._

" _Luffy!" Makino whispered, trying to calm him down._

 _At that, Higuma walked over to Luffy and grabbed him by the neck._

" _Please, he didn't mean that!" Makino said, trying to get Luffy back. Higuma pushed her off, sending her into a post._

" _MAKINO! DON'T YOU DARE TOUCH HER, SCUMBAG!" Luffy said as he punched Higuma._

 _-o-_

"THAT'S NO WAY TO TREAT A LADY, YOU ASSHOLE," Sanji roared as his leg erupted in fire and began rapidly kicking Higuma.

"That won't do anything," Zoro sighed, although he flicked his sword up as well.

"LET HIM GO!" Chopper yelled as he tried to kick Higuma in the leg, hoping that it would connect.

"What man treats a child like that, and still calls themselves a man?" Brook asked hotly.

The scene changed and they were outside.

 _-o-_

" _What an interesting body. Seems like kicking or punching you won't hurt you," Higuma said as he stomped Luffy._

" _DAMN IT! Apologize to Shanks and Makino right now, you bastard!" Luffy said as he tried to punch Higuma._

" _A rubberman, huh? Who would've thought that the rumors were true?" Higuma wondered as he pulled Luffy's cheek and stretched it, throwing him into the ground and back several feet._

" _Damn it! You'll be sorry for this!" Luffy said as he angrily looked at Higuma._

" _Maybe I'll see you. Could probably fetch a pretty penny," Higuma said with a vicious grin._

 _-o-_

"What a creep," Nami said as she shuddered. Robin put an arm around her.

"STOP HITTING HIM!" Chopper cried out as he continued trying to kick Higuma.

"This guy is scum," Zoro said. He had a sword drawn, although he knew he couldn't do anything with it.

 _-o-_

 _Luffy picked up a stick near him and ran at Higuma ready to bash him._

" _What a tough little brat," Higuma said as he kicked Luffy hard in the face, sending him backwards._

 _-o-_

At this point, Nami had her Clima-Tact ready, Franky had a cannon primed, Chopper was in Horn Point, Usopp had his slingshot drawn, Brook had his canesword out, Robin had her hands crossed over her chest, Zoro had his sword out, and Sanji had his leg covered in fire. They all knew that they couldn't do anything to the memory, but reality be damned - they wouldn't just stand around and watch this scumbag treat their captain like this.

"If only I could hit him…," Nami snarled.

 _-o-_

" _We were having a good time drinking and talking… did we say something to anger you?" Higuma asked._

" _Yeah, you did! Apologize right now! Move your foot, bastard!" Luffy yelled._

" _Please, let the child go!" Woop Slap said as he appeared. Makino had gone to fetch him._

" _I don't know what Luffy did, but I'm willing to pay!" Woop Slap added as he bowed to the bandit._

" _Mayor!" Luffy cried out._

" _The elders know the proper way to deal with any situation. But I'm afraid it's to late. This little brat really pissed me off. When someone as weak as him insults me, it makes me very, very angry," Higuma said vilely._

" _It's your fault, you… you… wild baboon!" Luffy said._

" _I'm not going to sell you. I'll kill you instead," Higuma said, pulling out his sword._

" _Luffy!" Makino shrieked in horror._

" _Please, let him go!" Woop Slap pleaded as Higuma pointed the sword at Luffy._

 _-o-_

"I swear, if this guy is still alive, I'm going to turn the Sunny around, find him, and kill him myself!" Nami yelled.

"SECONDED!" Usopp yelled.

"THIRDED!" Chopper agreed.

"What a villain. To kill a defenseless child, all over an insult!" Brook snarled.

 _-o-_

" _I was wondering why no one welcomed us at the port," came Shanks voice from behind Makino._

 _-o-_

"Yay! Shanks is here! He'll deal with this guy!" Chopper said happily.

 _-o-_

" _Captain!" Makino said, relieved to see him._

" _You're the bandits from the other day, aren't you?" Shanks asked pleasantly. Higuma and his crew just looked at him._

" _What's wrong, Luffy? I thought your punches were as strong as pistols?" Shanks asked with a laugh._

"… _Shut up!" Luffy deadpanned._

 _-o-_

"Now isn't the best time to crack jokes," Nami sighed.

 _-o-_

" _Still here, pirate? Going to clean the whole town? I suggest you leave right now. Get any closer, and I'll have your head as well," Higuma stated. Shanks gave him a smile as he walked closer. A bandit broke from the group and approached Shanks, his pistol against Shanks temple._

" _You deaf? He told you not to get any closer," the bandit said with an evil smile. The other bandits joined in the laughter._

 _-o-_

"This can't be good!" Chopper said fearfully. The others looked on intently, no one smiling this time.

 _-o-_

 _Shanks just smiled as he looked sideways at the bandit._

" _Would you risk your life?" Shanks asked quietly._

" _Huh?" the bandit asked._

" _Now that you've drawn your pistol, are you willing to use it?" Shanks asked._

" _What the hell are you talking about?" the bandit asked, uneasy._

" _I'm saying that guns aren't for threats, they're for action," Shanks said as he looked at the bandit and pointed at his pistol._

 _-o-_

Zoro looked at Nami who returned the look and grinned. The both looked at Usopp, whose mouth was open.

"He wasn't kidding. He really did get that from Shanks!" Usopp said.

"What're you talking about?" Sanji asked.

"When Luffy, Zoro, and I first met Usopp, he threatened us with a slingshot. Luffy gave him that 'guns are for action' line and it scared Usopp so much, he fell down," Nami said with a giggle as she thought about that time.

"Really bro? That's all it took?" Franky asked teasingly.

"Hey, hey, hey…," Usopp said, but didn't have anything else to add. The rest of the group laughed a bit at his expense.

Their eyes suddenly snapped back to the events unfolding, however, as a loud gunshot rang through the air. They expected the worst, but were surprised at what transpired. Lucky Roo broke from he group and had shot the bandit square through the temple. Blood and brain matter erupted from the bandits head as he fell dead on the ground, blood pooling around his head - his mouth open in shock, his eyes vacant as life left them.

"That guy's fast. I didn't even see him!" Zoro said, shocked. Sanji looked on in surprise as well.

 _-o-_

 _Lucky Roo was standing at the foot of the bandits dead body, calmly eating his meat as his gun smoked from the shot. Shanks stood there, stoic. The world had gone quiet as every looked on in shock - the bandits, Makino, Woop Slap, and Luffy._

" _You! You're a dead man!" one of the bandits cried out._

" _These guys fight dirty!" another said._

" _Dirty?" Yasopp asked, hands crossed over his chest._

" _Who did you think you were dealing with? We never claimed to be saints or anything," Beckman added, a frown on his face as he looked at the pirates._

" _You fellas are staring down a crew of pirates," Shanks said sardonically, his hat shadowing his eyes._

 _-o-_

"THEY'RE SO COOL!" Chopper exclaimed, stars in his eyes.

"Not gonna lie, those were some badass lines. I'm 90% certain they rehearsed that," Franky said as he tilted his sunglasses to his forehead. He had to see what was going to happen in it's full glory.

"That was sweet," Sanji said. Zoro simply looked on with a grin.

"That's my old man!" Usopp said proudly.

 _-o-_

" _We just want the boy, not you!" one of the bandits exclaimed._

" _Listen up, bandits. Whether I'm sprayed with alcohol or doused with food. Hell, even if I'm spit on, most of the time I'll just laugh it off and forget about it. But if you hurt a friend of mine, you'll pay for it regardless of your reason," Shanks snarled._

 _-o-_

Usopp and Chopper hugged each other in fright at Shanks's words.

"Wow. Shanks is pretty scary when he's angry," Nami said, shivering slightly. She noticed Robin smiling.

"What's so funny, Robin?" Nami asked curiously.

"What Shanks just said. Doesn't it remind you of someone?" Robin asked the crew. They all broke into a smile before they responded.

"Luffy," they said in perfect unison.

"Exactly. It seems as though Shanks's influence on Luffy goes further than any of us thought. One can insult Luffy as much as they wish - he does well at laughing it off. But as soon as you insult a friend of his, or hurt them, Luffy gets extremely angry and will fight for his friend with everything he has - just like Shanks, in this case," Robin said with a fond smile as she remembered what Luffy did for her.

"That's our captain," Usopp said happily.

"The best captain!" Chopper squealed in delight again. The crew let out a resounding "aye".

"I suppose it's a good thing that Crocodile or Lucci or Moria failed at defeating Luffy for more than one reason," Robin suddenly observed.

"What do you mean?" Nami asked curiously.

"Red-Haired Shanks is an extremely powerful pirate. From the information I gathered, he's the one who stopped the war at Marineford two years ago - without even having to fight. Fleet Admiral Sengoku reportedly agreed to his terms for ending the battle. On his way there, he supposedly clashed with another Emperor, Kaido. However, he arrived there unscathed. Seeing how close he and Luffy were, as well as what he just said, I get the feeling that had word reached him that Luffy was killed - by anybody we've faced so far - Shanks would've replied in kind," Robin said, a slight shiver going through her. If Crocodile had killed Luffy in the crypt or any of the times before that, and if Shanks had learned of this, Alabasta would've been under siege by an extremely powerful pirate - one that she doubted even Crocodile could face and get away with it.

The others pondered that as they memory changed.

 _-o-_

" _We're gonna pay, huh? Lousy pirates. Kill them all, men!" Higuma roared. They began to rush the Red Hairs._

" _I'll take care of this. Shouldn't be a problem," Benn Beckman stated as he strode forward. One bandit reached him before the others. Beckman took his cigarette out of his mouth and burned it on the forehead of the bandit, who screamed in pain at the heat._

 _As the others caught up, he held his rifle by the barrel and swung it a few times at them. They connected - hard and vicious, causing a few audible and sickening cracks crunches as they broke the skulls of a few of the bandits. With an epic flourish in his hand, he pointed the rifle at Higuma, his finger on the trigger - and at the same time, lit up another cigarette which he calmly smoked._

" _Don't overestimate yourselves, bandits. If you really wanted to fight us, looks like a battleship or something bigger would've been more useful," Beckman stated._

" _Wow," was all Luffy could say._

 _-o-_

"THAT WAS AWESOME!" Chopper and Usopp exclaimed, stars in their eyes as they observed the coolness of Benn Beckman.

"I know those guys were weak… but that was epic," Franky said with a grin.

"I agree. Definitely don't want to mess with Beckman," Nami said.

Zoro sized Beckman up and smiled. He had no doubt that they would encounter Shanks and his crew in battle in the New World. He found his opponent - Beckman was obviously one of the strongest in Shanks's crew.

"Doubt a battleship would so much as make these guys break a sweat," Sanji said as he lit up another cigarette, also smiling at the events that transpired.

 _-o-_

 _This shook up Higuma, who looked on in horror._

" _Hold on, please! It was the kid who attacked us!" Higuma pleaded._

" _I thought you were a wanted man?" Shanks asked with a sardonic smile. Higuma looked on in sheer terror, before suddenly throwing something on the ground - a smokescreen._

 _With that, the memory faded - although, the Straw Hats heard a bit of what Shanks said._

" _LUFFY?! OH NO! I LET THAT GUY TAKE HIM! WHAT'RE WE GONNA DO?!" Shanks screamed as he looked around in comical terror._

" _Boss, calm down! Quit freaking out! We'll find him in no time!" Lucky Roo said, trying to calm Shanks down._

" _Heh. What a guy," Beckman said as he grinned at his captains terror._

 _-o-_

"WE'RE FLOATING ON WATER!" Chopper squealed in terror as he looked below. Usopp clung to him, hoping he wouldn't fall in.

"Man, this is messed up," Franky said, trying to touch the water to no avail.

"Look, there's that bandit with Luffy," Zoro said, pointing. They walked to the bandit, who held Luffy by his collar and looked as though he was about to drop him.

"Oh no! Luffy can't swim!" Nami yelled in terror.

"CAPTAIN!" Chopper shouted in terror, with the others looking intently at the scene as it played out.

 _-o-_

" _Ha ha ha! Look's like we got away. Who would've thought that a bandit would escape by boat?" Higuma said as he and Luffy sailed out to sea on a small gondola like boat._

" _I only needed you as a hostage. You know, I've killed 56 people before you for messing with me. You'll be 57," Higuma said._

" _Go to hell, bastard!" Luffy said as he continued trying to swing at Higuma._

" _You first," Higuma said as he threw Luffy into the water. Immediately, Luffy began to flail around._

 _-o-_

"Oh no! This is horrible! Luffy could barely swim before. He has no chance now!" Nami shrieked, her hands clasped over her mouth.

"Come on… we know SOMEONE saves him. Where are they!" Sanji said, fear for his captain in his heart.

"CAPTAIN!" Chopper continued to cry as he went into Horn Point. He wanted to save Luffy, but knew he couldn't - which made it all the worse.

"This is kind of sick to watch," Usopp said grimly as he closed his eyes.

"What's that?" Robin suddenly said. Everyone looked down with wide eyes as they saw a large shadow moving underneath the water.

 _-o-_

 _Higuma was busy laughing and didn't notice the shadow that went underneath his boat. His look of glee turned into one of primal shock and horror as the surface of the water broke and a large eel like sea king rose out from the depths. With glaring red eyes and slitlike black pupils, teeth as big as a child and as sharp as a sword, and a long snout - the brown monster looked at Higuma for a second._

" _We…where did it come from…?!" Higuma asked in horror. He wasn't able to say anything else as the sea king opened its jaw wide and snapped it on the boat. It splintered and feel apart at the sides. Higuma was swallowed whole by the beast - with nothing, not even a drop of blood, left behind at the scene._

" _Somebody help me!" Luffy cried out. The sea turned to him and reared to strike._

 _-o-_

"Oh God," Nami whispered, close to tears now. The sea king ate Higuma like it was nothing; if something wasn't done soon, Luffy would follow.

Suddenly, they all saw a blur of red hair.

 _-o-_

 _The sea king struck. Blood spattered out._

 _-o-_

"LUFFY!" Usopp, Chopper and Franky shrieked. The cigarette fell from Sanji's mouth as he, Zoro, Robin, Nami, and Brook watched the scene intently.

"Shanks! SHANKS SAVED HIM! THANK GOD!" Chopper cried out as he finally saw the man.

 _-o-_

" _Shanks!" Luffy cried. He buried his head into Shanks's chest and began to cry._

 _The sea king focused it's red glare on Shanks. It was shocked, however, when it saw that Shanks was glaring back - in an even more terrifying manner. There was fury in each line of Shanks's face as he whispered two words to the beast._

" _Get lost," Shanks said viciously._

 _There was a moment as the world around them stilled. The eyes of the beast began to falter. A moment later, the sea king turned tail and sway away._

 _-o-_

"What just happened?" Franky asked, baffled.

"That was the Conqueror's Spirit - or Conqueror's Haki. Extremely rare - only one in a million people are born with it, and most will never know. Even getting control of it takes a long time," Robin said as she observed Shanks eyes. There was something almost primal in them as he spoke to the sea king.

"That… was… amazing," Chopper said in awe, captivated by how Shanks's handled the situation.

"Luffy has that as well, doesn't he?" Usopp asked.

"Yeah. It's how he took out those 50,000 fishmen back on Fishman Island. But wow. If Luffy could do that with two years of training, Shanks could've probably taken out all 100,000 of them," Nami said in awe.

"But where did that blood come from?" Brook asked. The eight carefully began to observe the scene. Their jaws collectively fell.

"No way…," Usopp said meekly.

 _-o-_

" _Luffy, I owe you a great debt. Thank you for sticking up for us back at the bar. Makino told me everything," Shanks said with a kind smile as he held on to Luffy, making sure he wouldn't sink._

 _Luffy sniffled in response, tears falling hard._

" _Come on, Luffy. Men don't cry," Shanks said good naturally._

" _But Shanks… YOUR ARM! YOUR ARM!" Luffy cried loudly. The Straw Hats noticed the left arm of Shanks was missing - with blood pouring out of it with no end in sight. Shanks, surprisingly, continued to smile as he ruffled Luffy's hair with his free hand._

" _Luffy, it's just an arm. I've got another one. I'm just glad that you're alright," Shanks said kindly, smiling. This did nothing to dissuade Luffy of his self anger, though. He continued to cry as Shanks swam them back to shore._

 _-o-_

"So that's how it happened. That's how he lost his arm," Robin said quietly.

"That Shanks! WHAT A GUY! He lost his arm and he waved it off like nothing!" Franky cried, tears of respect welling up in his eyes.

' _I'm proud of you dad. You chose a great man to follow,'_ Usopp thought as he smiled. His pride for his father went up monumentally (if it was possible) as he saw Shanks's sacrifice for Luffy. Most people could barely stand a small cut or bump or bruise; Shanks hardly paid attention to a lost arm.

' _So that's what happened. Just like Zeff saved me… Shanks saved Luffy,'_ Sanji thought as he surveyed the scene. His respect for Shanks also went up and he felt as though he now understood Luffy a bit better; as well as vice versa. When he first recruited him, Sanji knew that Luffy was one of a kind. But after seeing Shanks's sacrifice, he knew that Luffy could relate to him when he told him the story of how Zeff lost his leg. It turned out that Luffy understood Sanji's indebtedness to Zeff better than he let on. Not only did Zeff and Shanks save Sanji and Luffy, they also gave them something to live for - something to dream about.

"That's amazing… but I wonder what Luffy's feeling?" Nami asked breathlessly as her sight turned to her young captain. She knelt down a bit and looked at him in worry; she saw the tears flowing in a way that they fell very few times before. She looked at Shanks's stump of an arm and her mind flashed to Bell-mère. She had scarified herself for Nami and Nojiko. She felt another string of connection to Luffy - she could tell now that he understood what she had gone through.

"Mostly guilt, I think. Shanks did give up an arm for him, after all. Although, I must admit that he's taking it quite well - to the point he doesn't even notice that it's gone. It appears though his love and care for Luffy go very deep. Not many would give limb or life for someone they considered a friend," Robin observed. She couldn't help but smile at the shining figure that Luffy had found in Shanks. Luffy's willingness to stick for other people was no doubt reinforced by what happened here. She would have to remember to thank Shanks profusely for saving the life of her captain - and in doing so, saving the life of untold numbers in the world.

"That one event… changed all of our lives," Brook said softly. Everyone turned to him in - some in curiosity, some in surprise.

"What do you mean, Brook?" Chopper asked.

"Think about it. If Luffy had died here, how many of our lives would be different right now? I know that I would likely still be on my old ship, sailing around Thriller Bark - hoping for the day that I got my shadow back. Princess Shirahoshi might have been killed by now and Fishman Island would be under the thumb of that horrible man," Brook observed. He focused his intense gaze on Shanks, conveying his thanks to the memory. He took his hat off and crossed it over his chest, closing his eyes and bowing to the arm Shanks lost and the deed he did.

Everyone thought about that for a moment.

' _I'd have died on that post,'_ Zoro thought, flashing back to when he first met Luffy.

' _Kaya would've been killed by that nutcase and I'd still be in Syrup Village, if they didn't get me as well,'_ Usopp thought, smiling at how events turned out.

' _I'd still be on the Baratie. Not bad, but nowhere near as fun as this,'_ Sanji thought as he drew a long puff and closed his eyes.

' _I'd still be under Arlong,'_ Nami thought with a shudder.

' _Wapol would've taken back Drum Island,'_ Chopper fretted.

' _Crocodile would've killed me and taken control of Alabasta,'_ Robin thought, knowing that if Luffy hadn't saved her, there was no way she would've escape Crocodile - especially considering what happened in the crypt.

' _CP9 would've gotten to me,'_ Franky thought.

Each of them was silent as they reflected on what could've happened had Shanks not been there. The immense gratitude for the now-Emperor could be felt as it radiated off of the Straw Hats. Slowly, they all broke into a smile and thanked Shanks in their own way.

"Can't wait until we go up against them," Zoro said with a large grin.

"For once, I agree with you," Sanji said, smiling.

"For his sacrifice, we will give him a battle worth remembering," Brook agreed.

The memory changed and they were all on the harbor. Shanks and crew appeared to be packing up and Luffy was there with a smile on his face.

"Looks like Shanks is leaving," Nami said sadly as she looked at Luffy.

 _-o-_

" _You're really leaving this time?" Luffy asked._

" _Yup. We've stayed here long enough. It's about time we move on. Gonna miss us?" Shanks asked with a grin._

" _Yeah… but I won't beg you take me along. I'm just gonna become a pirate myself," Luffy said, smiling wide._

" _Heh. I wouldn't take you even if you begged me. You don't have with it takes to become a pirate," Shanks said teasingly. That got Luff riled up. A comical anger set upon him._

" _YES I DO! ONE DAY, I'LL FIND MYSELF A CREW, EVEN STRONGER THAN YOURS! THEN I'LL FIND THE ONE PIECE! I'M NOT JUST GONNA BE A PIRATE. I'M GOING TO BE KING OF THE PIRATES!" Luffy roared in excitement - so loud, that the entire town heard the declaration. Makino, who was waving Shanks off, smiled at Luffy's excitement. The other pirates grinned as well. Yasopp, Lucky Roo, and Benn stopped what they were doing and looked at Shanks, who smiled wide at Luffy._

" _Oh, so you wanna be better than us, huh? Well then…," Shanks said. Slowly, he took off his treasured straw hat. He looked at Luffy with pride in his eyes._

" _In that case, this hat is my gift to you," Shanks said as he leaned down slightly and put the hat on Luffy's head. At that, Luffy started to tear up - he knew what the hat meant to Shanks._

" _This is my favorite hat, you know. It's my treasure - it means more to me than anything else in the world. This hat is our promise, Luffy. When you become a great pirate, I want you to return that hat to me in good condition," Shanks said as he walked away. Luffy grabbed the brim of the hat and pulled it down further, tears falling as a waterfall._

 _As the Red Hair Pirates sailed away, Shanks and Luffy's eyes connected - and there was an unspoken conversation that was so deafening, the rest of the world fell silent to them._

 _The Straw Hats heard just a bit more as the memory slowly began to fade._

" _That kids gonna be big, captain," they heard the voice of Benn Beckman say to Shanks. They could tell he was smiling._

" _I know. He reminds me of myself when I was his age," Shanks said._

 _-o-_

The Straw Hats watched the event transpire in a respectful silence - each of them excited to see how it all went down. They all knew that above any treasure, any ship, any power - Luffy treated his straw hat with the utmost respect, hardly ever letting anyone else touch it. They now came to know the exact weight of the significance the hat held for him.

"So that's how it happened. Luffy told Shanks he'd surpass him and be King of the Pirates, and Shanks gave him his hat as a promise for Luffy to fulfill," Robin said, smiling.

Brook, Chopper, Usopp, and Franky were crying in each others arms.

"THAT… WAS SO BEAUTIFUL!" Brook howled, crying as much as Luffy was.

"A TRUE PROMISE BETWEEN MEN. THAT'S THE GREATEST THING I'VE EVER SEEN, YOU GUYS!" Franky yelled, wiping his nose.

"SO AWESOME!" Chopper cried out.

"WE GOTTA MAKE THAT PROMISE COME TRUE, EVERYONE!" Usopp declared. The others smiled and nodded at that.

"We can't let our captain down," Nami said with a grin.

"Sounds like fun," Sanji said, smiling wide as well.

Zoro already knew what the hat meant to Luffy, but to see it all happen before his eyes - that was something else. The moment the hat passed on, it was as if Shanks passed off the proverbial torch to Luffy - as if signaling in his generation of pirates. He knew that the Straw Hat Pirates and the Red Hair Pirates would clash one day in a titanic battle that would send shockwaves throughout the world; one of the Four Emperor's vs. the group that had already caused tsunamis in the world. That day would decide whether Luffy lived up to his promise or not. Zoro resolved to begin training extra hard from this point on - he absolutely refused to let his captain down.

"That was so adorable," Nami said happily as she put her hands to her cheeks and thought of the interaction between Shanks and Luffy. Their relationship was so fun and jolly, yet it was the basis for what Luffy wanted to do - it was the inflection that changed the course of Luffy's future - the one thing that made Luffy set out from home and meet her on a small island as they dealt with a red nosed buffoon.

Suddenly, the voice of the entity that putting them through all this began to speak.

" _I see you all are enjoying the memories of your captain. This particular memory, it seems, is the basis of the man that he desires to become. Be warned that while you will see his dreams and aspirations, you will see his pain as well. In fact, you will now feel some of it. You all seem to be highly skilled in your own right; pit your skills against a man from your captains past. Higuma, the bandit,"_ the entity said.

Then, as they stood in the pitch black recess of Luffy's subconscious, a form began to appear before them. It was black and slimy, much like the physical embodiment of the entity that had ensured Luffy. It quickly built on itself and rose high. It began to take form - the form of Higuma the bandit, to their surprise. The bandit stood as tall as he was in Luffy's memory and looked at them with an eyebrow raised and a grin.

" _I've killed 56 people, you know. How about I make it 64?"_ he said evilly as he drew his sword.

Zoro and Sanji launched forward with astonishing speed - the rest just hung back. With a Haki imbued sword, and a Haki imbued leg - they clashed with Higuma with surprising ferocity - intent on making the man feel the pain of their captain.

The battle was over before it even began as Zoro slashed him viciously across the chest and Sanji kicked him across the head. Higuma fell back, still smiling. His body suddenly burst as the the black slime flew into the air - where it simply disappeared.

"WHAT WAS THAT?!" Usopp exclaimed in fright.

"It appeared to be a physical manifestation of Higuma, the bandit," Robin observed.

"I GOT THAT! BUT WHY?!" Usopp cried out, hoping for an answer.

" _The old man must have told you that there would be a physical taxation on you as well. You will feel the pain of your captain - physically, emotionally. Perhaps you may come to learn more of your own pain, should you succeed in your endeavor to save your captain. I have more in store for you, friends of Monkey D. Luffy,"_ the voice whispered.

"THAT'S OK! YOU CAN KEEP ALL THAT STUFF!" Usopp cried out. The voice didn't respond this time and the crew looked at each other.

"Stay on your toes, everyone. We don't know when he might send one of those things at us," Zoro said as he looked around.

"It's interesting. For a powerful entity, it seems a bit… fair," Robin observed. The power the entity wielded made her hair stand on end, but thus far it seemed to be fairly impartial.

"WHAT?!" Usopp and Chopper cried out.

"What do you mean?" Sanji asked as he lit another cigarette.

"In the beginning, it said it would give us a fair chance to save Luffy - while it would have a fair chance to consume him. It also said that Luffy wouldn't be in any pain, which Caspian confirmed. I might be wrong, but it doesn't seem to be inherently evil, although it might be to soon to tell," Robin said.

"IT'S GONNA EAT LUFFY! THAT IS EVIL!" Chopper cried out.

Suddenly, the voice spoke again.

" _Evil is in the eyes of the beholder, doctor. I do not view myself as good. Nor do I view myself as evil. I simply am. As far as I can tell, you all came to this island of your own accord - my home. That makes you the trespassers here, does it not? I did not entice you to come here. Do not be so quick to pass judgement on others; I've shown you enough respect to give you a chance to succeed instead of devouring you all. I simply find that to be courteous,"_ the voice said.

"WE JUST WANT OUR CAPTAIN BACK!" Chopper cried out.

" _Relieve him of his pain, and you may get him back. Fail to do so, and you will all be mine,"_ the entity stated.

"Enough talk! Show us what's next!" Zoro snarled. The entity didn't reply but obliged. There was a bright light and Luffy was back in the jungle with Garp - this time, his trademark straw hat around his neck.


	3. The Beginning of Brotherhood

**I'm terribly sorry it took so long to get a chapter out. This is a difficult story to write for me; it requires cross-referencing the manga as well as the anime, and even then it's difficult. One Piece is a fantastic, but LONG, story as you all know. I won't say anything about a schedule because it's almost a given I won't be able to deliver on time. But I intend to keep it going, and I promise I'll come out with chapters a bit quicker.**

 **I do want your thoughts on something. While I really like the story, there are some arcs I just don't care for as much as others. Would you all mind if I go through those quickly? Or would you rather I go as deep as possible on all of them?**

-o-

"Great. More of Garp's insanity," Nami said, facepalming. She had some choice words ready for the next time they came across him; she vowed to make him relive at least some of Luffy's pain.

"He's already thrown him into a ravine, into a jungle, and let balloons carry him into the sky. I wonder what he has planned next?" Robin asked, slightly worried but mostly curious. Garp certainly had an interesting way of showing that he cared for and loved his grandson.

"You're way to calm about this," Nami deadpanned.

"We know he makes it out alive. And I don't think Garp would kill him. He might be a bit insane, but he loves Luffy… in his own way," Robin said, adding the last four words for good measure. She couldn't deny that Garp loved his grandson, but there were indeed much better ways to show it.

"What way do you think that is?" Zoro asked, only the slightest hint of humor in his voice. Robin shrugged as she tried to think of an answer.

-o-

 _Luffy was fighting the monkeys that he sparred with before, but this time the matchup was a bit more even. He managed to get a few attacks in - but at the expense of a still significant amount of bruises. Garp looked a bit more impressed than he had last time; it was apparent to him that Luffy had improved somewhat throughout the previous year._

 _Finally, Garp put an end to the fighting and Luffy went over to his grandfather, a smile on his face._

 _"Grandpa, I've decided! I'm not going to be just a pirate anymore!" Luffy said happily._

 _"That's great, kiddo! You've finally decided to become a Marine!" Garp said with a huge grin, happy that Luffy finally saw things his way._

 _"Nope! I'm going to be KING OF THE PIRATES!" Luffy declared, loud and proud, hands on his hips as he yelled for the forest to hear._

 _The grin on Garp fell as he loomed over Luffy, dark and imposing._

-o-

"That… might not have been the smartest thing to say," Usopp said weakly.

"Definitely not," Nami deadpanned.

"That's our captain. Just says what's on his mind without thinking of the consequences," Zoro sighed, although he had a small smile on his face - that was one of the best things about Luffy. He never minced words and he always gave it to people straight.

"If he thought of the consequences, we might not have had so many interesting adventures," Robin said as she noticed Zoro's smile.

"Can't argue with that," Sanji said as he drew a long smoke.

-o-

 _Garp picked Luffy up by his stretchy cheek and began walking through the jungle._

 _"I'm gonna be Pirate King, grandpa!" Luffy said as he tried to slap Garp's hand away._

 _"Not on my watch, kiddo! Not only did you eat a Devil Fruit, but now you wanna be Pirate King?! That damn Red Head…," Garp trailed off as he thought of Shanks. Finally, he brought his attention back to Luffy._

 _"You and Ace are going to be Marines, Luffy! The strongest Marines that ever lived!" Garp yelled as he continued to make his way._

 _"Owww! Why does it hurt if I'm rubber?!" Luffy cried out._

 _"I shouldn't have left you in the village," Garp said as they finally came upon a house._

-o-

"He said Ace! Think we'll finally get to meet him?!" Chopper asked excitedly.

"I think so," Nami said, watching on with interest.

-o-

 _"DADAN! GET OUT HERE!" Garp yelled as he knocked loudly at the door._

 _"G-Garp! You need to give me a break, you know. Ace is already 10! I can barely handle him now. Soon enough, I won't be able to handle him at all!" said Curly Dadan as she answered the door. A large woman, wearing an orange button up shirt, a large pearl necklace, and green and black striped pants, with a cigarette in her mouth - Curly Dadan acted as the stepmother for Ace and Luffy. A mountain bandit of the Mt. Corbo Mountain Tribe, Dadan usually stuck to her home, never going to Luffy's village. She was flanked by two other bandits._

-o

"What is Garp doing here?" Nami asked in surprise.

"I'm not sure. We'll probably find out in a little bit. She does seem to be an interesting character, though," Robin observed.

"You sure she's a she?" Franky asked as he looked closely at Dadan. He was wondering why Garp would bring Luffy here of all places.

"She talked about Ace as well! Does he live with her, you think?" Chopper asked.

"That seems to be the case," Brook answered, although he could see no sight of the young boy.

-o-

 _Finally, Dadan looked down, and her eyes widened in terror._

 _"WHO IS THAT LITTLE RUGRAT?! YOU'RE BRINGING ME ANOTHER?" Dadan asked._

 _"This here is Luffy. He's my grandson," Garp said, grinning._

 _"GRANDSON!?" Dadan exclaimed, along with her subordinates._

 _"Yup. So, choose. Live the rest of your lives behind bars, or raise this little guy. I'm keeping the Marines eyes closed to your crimes, which, I might add, number more than the stars in the sky," Garp said._

-o-

"Garp… is blackmailing bandits… into taking care of his grandson?" Nami asked incredulously.

"That seems to be the case. I didn't expect that" Robin added lightly.

"Garp really is insane!" Usopp added, terrified at the thought.

"Well, at least we know where Luffy gets his manners from," Sanji sighed.

"But… it's his grandson! Shouldn't Garp be taking care of him? Or even better - Makino!" Nami yelled.

"Maybe he felt this was best?" Brook offered.

"IN WHAT WAY IS THIS BEST?!" Nami yelled. Brook, Chopper, and Usopp held on to each other in fright.

-o-

 _"I don't want to be arrested, but sometimes I wonder if the slammer might be a better option then raising these kids. I'm already at my wits end with Ace… and now you want me to take care of your grandson?! He's a monster just like Ace, huh?" Dadan asked. Suddenly, a wad of spit went flying at Luffy and connected with his cheek._

 _"Spit! Gross! Who did this?" Luffy asked angrily._

 _"Hey, Ace!" Garp said._

 _"You came home, Ace?!" asked one of the bandits._

 _There, sitting on a kill was Ace. Holding a long stick, wearing a white tank top, black shorts, and a frown, Ace was a far cry from the always smiling man the Straw Hats knew._

-o-

The Straw Hats were surprised by the appearance of Ace.

"He looks angry," Nami said quietly.

"I wonder why? He and Luffy seem to love each other so much," Chopper said, slightly afraid.

"This is when they first met, so it's probable that they didn't get along initially," Robin said as she carefully observed Ace. She could see some cuts and bruises on him. She could tell the expression on his face - one of detachment. She knew it well, for she had worn it for much of her life - at least until she met Luffy and the others.

"He does seem rather… frightening," Brook observed. He, Franky, and Robin were the only ones that didn't spend any time with Ace before his end, so didn't have anything to measure him with. From what they learned from the Straw Hats, Luffy and Ace loved each other a tremendous amount - proven when Luffy fought so diligently to save him.

-o-

 _"That's Ace. He's 3 years older than you. You're gonna live with him from today forward, so you two better get along, got it? Dadan?!" Garp asked._

 _"What?!" Dadan replied._

 _"I'm entrusting him to you," Garp replied._

 _All the while, Luffy and Ace simply stared at each other - neither backing down._

 _Finally, Garp left, and the boys went inside. Luffy took a seat on a cushion._

 _"I hate mountain bandits," Luffy declared, not batting an eyelash at the stronger and motley bunch around him._

-o-

The Straw Hats erupted into laughter at this. Leave it to their captain to be blunt when surrounded by the people he claims to hate.

"That's our Luffy," Franky said as he wiped away a tear.

"You'd think he'd be a bit more appreciative considering that they've taken him in," Nami said, smiling as she shook her head.

"Luffy appreciates what he wants to," Zoro said with a grin.

"Looks like even as a child, he wasn't one to shy away from danger," Robin said.

"Remember how he treated those bandits when they insulted Shanks behind his back? Luffy never learned to bow away," Brook added with a YOHOHOHOHOHO.

-o-

 _"Shut it, brat! We're already tired with kids like you. If you don't like it here, get out and starves!" Dadan yelled._

 _"Calm down, boss!" one of her subordinates told her._

 _"This is too little! I want meat too!" Luffy declared as he observed the small cup of rice and glass of water before him._

 _"This meat is from the buffalo Ace captured. He gives us some, and that goes on our plates. You'll have to start working tomorrow! You'll clean, do the laundry, polish our shoes and weapons - as well as rob, steal, swindle, and kill! And you won't tell Garp a damn thing!" Dadan yelled at him._

 _Luffy simply glared at her as she continued to talk._

 _"A bowl of rice and a cup of water a day. That's all you can have. Anything else you want? You'll have to go out and get it!" Dadan yelled._

-o-

"Those assholes are gonna starves him!" Sanji growled. They weren't giving Luffy close to enough food.

"He needs a lot more than that, nutritionally speaking. He's still really young," Chopper said worriedly.

"Garp really screwed up here," Nami said as he brought her hand to her forehead, not believing how Garp could do that to his grandson.

"You never know. This kind of stuff builds character," Zoro said, shrugging.

"Aren't you Mister Optimistic," Nami said, rolling her eyes at him.

"Perhaps Dadan will end up being a good influence on him?" Robin offered, although her tone implied that she wasn't a big fan of the treatment Luffy was receiving. Nami shrugged at that, and they went back to the memory.

-o-

 _"Alright!" Luffy declared, his voice rather calm._

 _"You agree?! You're supposed to cry!" Dadan yelled._

 _"Grandpa abandoned me in the jungle plenty of times. I can eat worms, frogs, snakes, and mushrooms for as long as I want. If I'm gonna be King of the Pirates, I need to be able to do that by myself!" Luffy said happily._

-o-

Hearing his dietary choices made the Straw Hats wince a little.

"Man, that's disgusting," Franky said.

"Terrifying," Brook agreed.

"Still building character?" Nami asked Zoro, who merely shrugged in response.

"If I ever find those bandits, I'm going to give them an ass kicking they won't forget. Starving someone, much less a child, is an unforgivable sin in my book," Sanji snarled. The others nodded in agreement; they could've been kinder, especially to someone as young as Luffy.

-o-

 _At Luffy's declaration, Ace got up and began to leave._

 _"Where is Ace going?!" Luffy asked, getting up._

 _"Wait, where are you going… wait, did you say King of the Pirates?" Dadan asked, aghast._

 _Luffy continued to follow Ace outside as he went into the woods. Ace looked back and gave him a disgusted look as Luffy waved his hands._

 _"Hey, I'm Luffy! I'm not angry about you spitting on me anymore!" Luffy said._

 _Suddenly, the memory flashed back to when Shanks was sitting on the floor of Partys Bar, soaked and covered in sake. He was telling Luffy not to get worked up about the small stuff._

-o-

"What was that?" Nami asked, talking about the flashback.

"A flashback within the memory, it seems. It looks like Shanks's influence on Luffy has already set to his heart. Even after Ace spat on him, Luffy quickly forgave him - just like Shanks would," Robin said, smiling.

"He's growing up," Nami cooed happily.

-o-

 _"It's nothing to get angry about! Let's be friends! Hey, where are you going?" Luffy asked as he went after Ace._

 _Suddenly, Ace kicked a tree. It snapped at the base of the trunk and began to roll downhill - colliding hard with Luffy._

-o-

The Straw Hats were shocked by the display of power and brutality from Ace - much more so, considering how friendly he was to all of them at their first meeting.

"Damn! He IS a monster. Talk about power!" Franky said, shifting his sunglasses above his head.

"Why did he do that?" Chopper asked fearfully as he clutched Robin's leg. She had no answer for him as she impassively watched the scene, although she couldn't deny the moment of shock that coursed through her as the tree hit Luffy.

"He could've killed him!" Usopp yelled, terrified at Ace's behavior. It was completely opposite of what he had seen in Alabasta. That Ace defended Luffy against Baroque Works - while this Ace was trying to end him before he grew up!

Brook, Zoro, and Sanji watched impassively - however, the others noticed that Brook and Zoro were holding on to their swords tightly while Sanji rotated his foot, getting it primed.

-o-

 _Luffy quickly recovered from the tree trunk and continued to follow Ace onto a wooden bridge._

 _"Ha!" Luffy exclaimed as he caught up. Ace looked back, surprised that Luffy was still following him. Luffy had a look of determination on his face - one the Straw Hats knew well. He wasn't going to give up without a fight - and even with a match, the chances of him giving up were zero._

 _Ace looked at Luffy for a moment before turning and facing him. He gripped his stick tightly and brought it up - before bringing it down hard on the bridge. The bridge broke, and Luffy went tumbling down into the river below._

-o-

The Straw Hats continued to look terrified - mostly Chopper, Usopp, Franky, Brook, and Nami.

"Wow… he's… not very nice," Usopp said weakly.

"I'm really, REALLY surprised that he and Luffy get along so well. If someone did that to me, I could never forgive them," Nami said with a hard look as the memory began to change.

"We'll likely see happened that brought them closer together. We know it comes, so there's no reason to be afraid," Robin said. She knew Luffy and knew that he would forgive Ace - if he hadn't already. After all, he had forgiven her even after she helped bring Alabasta to its knees. Luffy always looked for the good in people, and she was confident he'd find some in Ace.

"I'm really interested in seeing that," Zoro said.

"If Ace keeps this up, he's gonna really hurt Luffy," Chopper said softly, still clutching Robins' leg.

-o-

 _"Boss Dadan! Luffy came back alive!" one of the bandits yelled as Luffy came into view. He was bloody and bruised, his shirt ripped. The straw hat, however, was uninjured on his back._

 _"He's still alive!? WHERE THE HELL WERE YOU?!" Dadan asked Luffy._

 _"I was being chased by wolves and fell off the cliff," Luffy answered as he went to his bed._

 _"The cliff?! Why did you…? Hell, nevermind. Sleep for now. Tomorrow, you're gonna work hard for us!" Dadan said. Luffy quickly fell asleep._

 _The next morning, Ace began to leave - with Luffy right behind him._

 _"Hey, Ace! Take me with you! Let's be friends!" Luffy said happily, grinning ear to ear._

-o-

"There's the Luffy we know and love!" Franky cried out.

"Even after Ace hit him with a tree and sent him into a ravine, he's still so cheerful," Nami said, smiling at kid Luffy.

"What a tremendous spirit!" Brook yelled out.

"Can't keep him down," Usopp said, smiling at his captain.

"I'm still surprised that they get to be so friendly after all this," Chopper said.

"It's one of Luffy's greatest traits. You can't help but eventually like him," Robin said, smiling.

-o-

 _"Hey! Wait for me! This time I'm not gonna lose you!" Luffy said as Ace broke into a run._

 _"Hey, Boss! He ran after Ace!" one of the bandits said._

 _"DAMN IT LUFFY! YOU'RE SUPPOSED TO BE RUNNING ERRANDS FOR US! DAMN KID, WON'T LISTEN TO A SINGLE WORD!" Dadan yelled as Luffy entered the forest._

-o-

"Definitely the Luffy we know and love," Franky said, grinning.

"Following orders really has never been his strong suit," Nami said.

"Yeah, except now he gets his bounty raised when he does something the world tells him not to," Usopp said.

-o-

 _The memories shifted in rapid order as the Straw Hats continued to watch. Every day, Luffy would disobey Dadan and the others and venture into the jungle after Ace. He survived crocodiles, alligators, rock slides (courtesy of Ace), poisonous snakes, huge birds, piranhas, the inability to swim and drowning, massive tigers and other monsters - all in the hopes of winning Ace as a friend. Unbeknownst to him, each and every time - Ace was watching him._

-o-

"Damn, look at the forest! Those HAVE to be some of the biggest monsters I've ever seen!" Franky said, eyes wide. Usopp and Chopper held on to each for the entire montage as the monsters just grew bigger and deadlier.

"Jeez, no wonder he's so strong. Anyone would be if they had to survive in a place like that!" Nami said, also terrified by the number of things Luffy had to survive at such a young age.

"No wonder he's a monster himself," Sanji said, lighting up another cigarette.

"It is quite impressive. This explains why he was so easily able to beat everyone in East Blue. It likely plays into the other fights that he's been in. He was truly forged in fire," Robin said, impressed by the number of things Luffy had to escape at such a young age. Even his Devil Fruit powers - which he couldn't control yet - didn't help him much, so he had to do so on his own instincts.

-o-

 _"Huh. Is this the end of the forest?" Luffy asked as he finally came to a place where the trees ended._

 _As he observed the sight before him, the pungent and horrible smell hit his nose with an unrelenting force. Before him was trash - parts of ships, boats, signs, bricks, ladders, and everything in-between; all piled up in a huge trash heap._

 _"What the hell is this place? God, it stinks," Luffy said as he observed the Gray Terminal. A raggedy man approached Luffy and pushed him out of the way. Luffy's mouth was open as he kept on looking on._

-o-

"What the hell is this place?" Franky asked as he covered his nose. The rest of the Straw Hats followed - the smell, for some reason, reached them as well.

"Why can we smell it?!" Nami asked as she coughed a bit.

"Perhaps the smell of the place was so pungent, that Luffy remembers it?" Brook asked as he covered his own skeletal nose hole.

"This is the Gray Terminal. It's a junkyard on Dawn Island, the same island where it seems Luffy is from. From what I know of it, it's a fairly dangerous place - ravaged by disease and no medical care. Most of the people here are refugees, making their living by selling the trash they can find. It's quite a terrible place," Robin said. Suddenly, Chopper broke away from her and descended down a small pile of trash.

"Chopper! What's wrong!" Nami asked. They followed him and soon gasped in horror.

Before them was a small child wearing raggedy clothing. His entire body was ravaged by small bumps - numbering in the hundreds. His face, his hands, his feet, arms, legs - everything. Hardly an inch was left. The cigarette fell from Sanji's mouth as Usopp vomited, unable to keep it in. Sanji, Zoro, and Brooks' mouths were open slightly as they surveyed the child; while Nami buried her face into Robin's shoulder, unable to stand the sight. Franky looked away, unable to bear it.

"Chopper… what's wrong with him?" Nami asked, still not looking.

"He has smallpox. It's a contagious viral disease that strikes the victim with fever and pustules like this all over their body. It's almost impossible to find a case anymore… it's been eradicated worldwide. Or… I thought it had," Chopper said sadly. The child wheezed in pain; no one was around to help.

"The kid…," Usopp said, finally getting up - although refusing to look.

"He'll die," Chopper said sadly. He went back to Robin and hugged her leg tightly before he began to cry. Seeing someone - especially a child - in this state and not being able to help them was one of the worst things that he could imagine. His life as a doctor imbued in him a deep and vast respect for life - all life -, and he tried to save it when he could. Robin leaned down and picked Chopper up, holding him tight as he continued to cry. Nami rubbed his back gently; they knew that seeing things like this and not being able to do anything about it hurt Chopper the most out of the group. The youngest of them, he was also the most innocent and impressionable (although, the smartest alongside Robin) - he wanted to help everyone.

"We should go back up. There's nothing we can do here," Zoro said firmly, although he too felt sad at what he saw. The others nodded and headed back up to Luffy, who was still observing the Gray Terminal.

Soon, the memory shifted, and they saw Luffy standing at the base of a tree. They could hear voices coming from the top.

-o-

 _"Awesome! You got more than me. This is a lot of cash. Where'd you get it?" asked one of the voices._

 _"I took it from a bunch of people near the gate. Probably carriers for some merchant ship," came the younger Aces voice._

 _"Damn it, you beat me again!" said the other voice._

 _"Who cares about winning? It's our stash of pirate savings we're gonna use one day. It's been five years since we started saving. We went through hell to gather this much…," Ace trailed off._

 _"Yeah. I wonder how much we need to buy a pirate ship?" the other voice wondered._

 _"Who knows? We still have a long way to go. Hurry up and close it, who knows who'll see us…," Ace said, but was cut off by Luffy below._

 _"Pirate ship?! You guys wanna be pirates?!" Luffy yelled at them, smiling._

 _Ace and the other boy gave him an angry look as they were discovered._

 _"Me too!" Luffy said brightly._

 _"So this where you come to every day, Ace?" Luffy asked, looking around._

 _"Shut it!" Ace said. He and the other boy quickly climbed down with a long line of rope. They tied Luffy to the tree, yet that did nothing to dampen his mood._

 _"So, this is the Luffy guy you were telling me about?" the boy asked. He wore a top hat with glasses on top and dressed well in a black suit with a bowtie at the front. He notably had a single tooth missing._

 _"So, you finally came all the way here. And you did it using a path a human couldn't walk through?" Ace asked. Luffy, of course, ignored him._

 _"Hey, are you a friend of Ace? Let's be friends?" Luffy asked happily._

 _"Shut it!" Ace replied._

-o-

"Who's this kid?" Zoro asked gruffly.

"No idea. Luffy never mentioned him," Nami replied.

"Looks like Ace has a friend at least. So we know he's not mean to everyone. Looks like there is a heart there," Robin said.

"I'm more interested in the fact that Luffy is tied up yet doesn't seem to notice it," Brook said. The others help back a laugh at that. Of course, he didn't notice it - Luffy hardly noticed things like that - which was surprising considering how strong his instincts were.

-o-

 _"And this is the reason I told you to live with me. That so-called "mountain path training" truly bit you in the ass," the boy said sideways to Ace._

 _"He knows our secret. If we leave him, he'll tell someone. Let's kill him," Ace said darkly._

 _"I agree," the other boy said._

 _There was a pause._

 _Another._

 _Another._

 _"WHAAAAAAAAAAAAT?!" Luffy cried out._

-o-

The others couldn't contain themselves as they heard that.

"Oh God, Captain. You're killing me!" Franky said, laughing at Luffy's delayed reaction.

"How long did it take for the sound from their lips to travel to his brain and register?" Nami asked, although she too was laughing hard.

"A while," Usopp sputtered.

"They said they're gonna kill him. We should… be a bit more serious about this!" Brook said, laughing just as hard as the others.

"They're children. I highly doubt they'll be able to," Robin said.

"I dunno. Ace seems pretty capable," Chopper said as he finally calmed down.

"I don't think he's tried to kill Luffy; perhaps just testing him," Robin said.

-o-

 _"I didn't think you were gonna kill me! HELP ME! I don't wanna die!" Luffy cried out._

 _"Don't move, you idiot!" the other boy said, trying to shut him up._

 _"Sabo, do it!" Ace said to his friend._

 _"WHAT? YOU DO IT!" Sabo replied._

 _"I've never killed anyone!" Ace said._

 _"Same here. I don't know how to do it!" Sabo replied._

-o-

"Like I said. Ace might be a handful, but he's not that cruel," Robin said, smiling.

-o-

 _"HELP!" Luffy continued to yell._

 _"Shut up!" Sabo and Ace said together._

 _"Hey, I heard voices from here. Children's voices!" a new voice suddenly came from the tree-line._

 _"Crap! Someones coming!" Sabo said._

 _"Take the ropes off him. We have to get away from here, or they'll find our treasure!" Ace said._

-o-

"He could be your brother, Nami. Treasure before peoples lives," Zoro said with a grin. This earned him a slap across the head from Nami, who seethed comically at him.

-o-

 _Ace and Sabo didn't have time to untie Luffy. They quickly made a break for it as a new man showed up. With long blonde hair and a massive upper body, he brandished a sword as he looked around._

 _"Those children - Ace and Sabo - you told me about are famous around here. You sure it's Ace that took the money?" the brutish man asked. He wore a black vest that was too small to cover him, as well as tribal tattoos down his left arm. Around his waist, his large black belt held up his khaki's._

 _"Yeah… I'm ashamed, but he got me by surprise," answered one of the other men with him._

 _"What a stupid child, taking money from us. If Captain Bluejay hears about this, he'll kill us both," the brute said._

 _Nearby, Sabo and Ace observed the scene. The incoming pirates were closing in on Luffy._

 _"Damn! That guy was a trader for Bluejam. I got some serious cash, it seems," Ace said, scolding himself._

 _"That guys got a real sword… No way. That's Porchemy! You ever heard of him? He's insane! He scalps his opponents!" Sabo said, terrified._

-o-

At this, the Straw Hats tensed up. They knew something was about to go down. Otherwise, they wouldn't see this. The question was: What?

"I don't like this," Zoro said as his hand was on his sword.

"Nor do I," Brook said, eyes narrowing.

"No… Luffy!" Nami cried out, remembering that he was still tied up.

"Those idiots!" Sanji cried out, referring to Sabo and Ace - who left Luffy tied up.

"He… scalps them!" Chopper said, terrified.

Suddenly, they heard a cry - Luffy. The rushed over to see what was happening to their kid captain.

-o-

 _Porchemy held Luffy up by his body - which he could easily grip in his hand._

 _"Where is he?" Porchemy asked._

 _"LET GO OF ME, DAMN IT! HELP ME, ACE!" Luffy cried out._

 _"Damn it, he said my name! What an idiot!" Ace exclaimed as he and Sabo ducked even further._

 _"Did you say Ace? You know him?" Porchemy asked, surprised._

 _"He's my friend… although, he did try to kill me just now…," Luffy deadpanned._

 _"I'm going to ask you one thing, kid. Ace took our money and ran away. Do you know where it is?" Porchemy asked._

 _"Aww man, they'll find it!" Sabo hissed to Ace._

 _"He better not say anything…," Ace growled._

 _"No…," Luffy said, looking sideways._

 _"YOU SUCK AT LYING!" Porchemy yelled at him._

-o-

"Can't argue with him there…," Sanji said.

"See, Nami. Just like you," Zoro said, earning himself another slap.

"WE HAVE MORE IMPORTANT PROBLEMS ON OUR HAND. NAMELY, OUR CAPTAIN!" Nami yelled at him.

-o-

 _"You leave me no choice, kid. I'll make you tell us, don't worry," Porchemy said with a vicious smile._

 _"HEY! WERE ARE YOU TAKING ME! LET GO!" Luffy said as he flailed around. As the pirates left, Ace and Sabo looked horrified at what just transpired._

-o-

"I don't like this," Usopp said, sweating bullets.

"Luffy's a kid… what can they do?" Chopper asked. No one answered as the memory shifted. They were inside a small shack in the Gray Terminal.

-o-

 _Luffy was tied up and hanging from a chain._

 _"LET ME GO! IM NOT SAYING A WORD!" Luffy yelled._

 _"Little shit!" Porchemy yelled. He brought up a massive hammer - almost as big as him - that he crushed viciously on Luffy's head. Luffy's body contracted before it bounced off of him._

 _"I told you, I ate the Gum Gum Fruit!" Luffy cried out._

 _"A Devil Fruit… looks like you're telling the truth. Bring me my gloves," Porchemy said. One of the men went away as Porchemy looked at Luffy._

 _The man returned - holding in his hand two spiked gloves._

 _"Listen up, kid. Ace stole a lot of money from our crew. You know where it is. You're gonna tell me," Porchemy said as he donned his gloves. Suddenly, he brought a spiked fist down on Luffy's cheek striking him hard._

-o-

"LUFFY!" Nami screamed in horror, her hands flying to her mouth and her eyes wide. This grown man - a pirate - was punching a seven-year-old kid with spiked gloves.

"STOP IT YOU MONSTER!" Chopper roared as he shifted into Horn Point and charged Porchemy. He went right through; at that, he began to cry. He would have to watch his captain suffer and abide by it, for he could do nothing.

"This guy is the lowest of scum," Zoro snarled. He had unconsciously drawn his sword and was preparing to leap. If it weren't a memory, Porchemy would've been fish food at this point.

"If I ever come across him again, I'm going to tear him apart," Sanji said as his foot erupted in fire. He struggled to light another cigarette, his hand shaking in uncontrollable rage. First, Luffy was denied food; then, Ace tried to kill him; and now, it seemed as though this ape might actually succeed in doing so.

"Just tell them something Luffy… anything," Usopp said, tears starting to well. Chopper went over to him, and they held on to each other in fear for their captain, hoping that the torment would end soon.

Brooks' hand tightened on his cane-sword so hard, the bones actually began to crack. His eyes narrowed viciously as he saw the spiked gloves tear into Luffy's skin and send blood flying. The sword started to tremble as he slowly withdrew it, wanting nothing more than to cut down his captain's tormentor.

Franky had already aimed a weapon at Porchemy, memory be damned. No one treated a kid, let alone the man he called captain, like this and could get away with it. He would blast that bastard into the next century.

Robin's eyes narrowed as a pang of rage and hatred went through her. She wanted nothing more than to clutch Porchemy and snap his neck and spine into multiple pieces for what he was doing to her captain. She put an arm around Nami who was shaking in fear and anger.

The hits kept on coming.

-o-

 _The hits kept on coming._

 _"It worked on him!" one of the pirates said._

 _"You don't want to make a pirate angry. Especially Bluejam. He's a bit of a brute," Porchemy said._

-o-

"SO ARE YOU, YOU BASTARD!" Chopper cried out, tears down his face.

-o-

 _Luffy hung from the rafter, his blood dripping on the ground. Porchemy reared and hit him a few more times. Finally, Luffy spoke._

 _"IT HURTS SOMEBODY, PLEASE HELP! I'M SCAAAAAAARED!" Luffy cried out, his voice echoing throughout the Gray Terminal._

 _"You guys, go look for Ace and Sabo," Porchemy said._

 _"Y…yes sir!" his subordinates said, not wanting to suffer the same fate._

-o-

Nami felt her heart break in two at the pleading, knowing that she couldn't do anything because this moment had long passed.

"Please.. stop… please, just stop," Nami said as tears began to fall. She buried her face in Robin's shoulder and began to sob wholeheartedly. Chopper and Usopp did the same for each other, while Franky, Brook, Sanji, and Zoro grew angrier and angrier with each passing hit that Porchemy inflicted on Luffy. Franky and Brook looked down, trying to suppress their anger as best they could - both failing to do so.

The memory went dark. When it came through again, Luffy was still hanging from the rafters, his face bruised, bloodied, and holed as blood poured out. Nami glanced at it but immediately turned to Robin again, who hugged her. Robin looked uncomfortable as well as she saw Luffy's state. The beating took a significant toll - and yet, he still hadn't cracked. Even now, Luffy would die for his friends if he had to. Finally, she closed her eyes - unable to watch anymore.

"DAMN IT!" Sanji roared as everyone turned to him.

"I… I can't stand by and do NOTHING!" he yelled helplessly, hands running through his hair, as he looked down at the floor, unable to watch anymore.

"I know. But we have to. Trust me, I want to gut this guy as bad as you do. I just hope he's the thing we have to fight," Zoro said. He alone continued to watch the memory. If his captain could have suffered this first hand, the least he could do was watch it.

-o-

 _"Porchemy… it's no use. He can't even speak anymore," one of Porchemy's subordinates said._

 _Blood continued to drip from Luffy as he hung from the rafters still. It began to pool below him. At this point, even his breathing was laborious._

 _"I don't think he'll say anything. And to be honest, sir, this is getting a bit brutal for me to watch," the pirate said._

 _"If you've got the energy to stand out for the kid, go and find Sabo and Ace. We're the ones in danger!" Porchemy roared as he hit his own man with the glove._

 _"TELL ME!" Porchemy roared, losing his cool._

 _"I won't say," Luffy whispered._

 _"STUPID BRAT! YOU THINK YOU'RE GROWN UP BECAUSE YOU CAN PROTECT SOME SECRET?!" Porchemy roared as he gave Luffy one more vicious blow._

 _"I won't say… I won't say," Luffy said, his tears mixing with his blood._

-o-

"Just tell him, Luffy!" Chopper yelled, his fur soaked with his and Usopps tears. Although he knew that Luffy would never do such a thing.

"Why doesn't he tell them?!" Usopp asked puffy eyed, looking to Robin for answers. She took a moment before opening her eyes and answering; the hits finally stopped.

"I believe it's because he's still hoping to become friends with Ace and Sabo. He likely believes that if he says anything, he'll lose his only chance at becoming their friend," Robin said.

-o-

 _Porchemy stopped and pulled out his sword._

 _"Fine, then. Die," he growled._

-o-

"NO! STOP IT!" Nami yelled at the memory.

-o-

 _Suddenly, the walls collapsed. Sabo and Ace came flying in, fury in their faces as they brandished their pipes._

 _"STOOOOOOP!" they roared at Porchemy as Ace struck him. They began to go to work, unloading their attacks on the pirates._

 _"It's him, Porchemy! He's the one who stole the money!" one of the pirates roared._

 _"AAAACEEEEE!" Luffy cried out._

-o-

"Thank God!" Nami said, clutching at her chest - happy that someone finally stopped the brutality.

"Ace and Sabo!" Chopper cried out, leaping to his feet - now intently watching.

"They're still kids, though," Usopp said as he got up.

"I just hope they put the hurt on these scumbags!" Franky yelled as the others nodded in agreement.

-o-

 _Porchemy quickly got up and grabbed Ace._

 _"They came straight to us? That makes it easier. Your friend's mouth is so tight, I was starting to get worried," Porchemy said._

 _Sabo came up from behind and struck Porchemy hard across the back of his head. He fell forward as blood mixed with his hair._

 _Sabo quickly took a knife from one of the other pirates which he used to cut the ropes that bound Luffy. He slung him over his shoulder and began to run._

 _"Let's run, Ace!" he cried out to Ace who was staring down Porchemy who had just gotten up._

 _"You go ahead!" Ace said._

 _"You idiot…," Sabo said._

 _"Once I face an enemy, I never run," Ace declared._

 _"He has a sword! He's different from the others!" Sabo yelled back._

-o-

"Ace is pretty tough, even when he's a kid," Usopp said.

"COME ON ACE! SHOW THEM WHO'S BOSS!" Chopper cried out.

"I hope he cracks some heads here," Franky said, agreeing with Chopper's sentiment.

-o-

 _"Don't you think you're giving in to your urges a little too much? Just hand over the money, nice and easy," Porchemy said._

 _"We can use the money better than you," Ace said._

 _"ENOUGH!" Porchemy yelled as he swung at Ace but missed._

 _"If I lose to a kid, I'll have to give up piracy," he said with a sadistic smile._

-o-

"He's barely a pirate, anyway. No great thing lost," Brook snarled, his eyes narrowing.

"I agree with that," Robin said coldly as she looked at Porchemy. She knew that most were like him and had no qualms with violence. But, only the lowest of the low stooped so low as to torture children.

The memory changed and Luffy was sitting on the ground as Ace and Sabo were nearby.

-o-

 _Luffy was crying uncontrollably - understandable, considering the ordeal he had just gone through._

 _"Man, that's one bad habit you have Ace. Saying 'I'm not gonna run' to a real pirate like that. Why do you wanna die so much?!" Sabo asked Ace angrily._

 _Ace remained silent, eyes closed._

 _"Now that you've done that, there's no way Bluejam is gonna forgive us. We're gonna be chased," Sabo said as he leaned across a small outcrop of rocks._

 _"That was scary… I thought I was gonna die," Luffy cried._

 _"Shut up! Just how long are you gonna cry, anyway? I hate weaklings and crybabies! You're really pissing me off, you know!" Ace shouted._

 _Luffy suddenly stopped crying and sucked in his lips._

-o-

"That was harsh," Nami said, an edge to her voice.

"I'd say he's earned a cry!" Usopp said to Ace's memory.

"I think he knows that. He's just dealing with it his own way," Robin said.

-o-

 _"Thank you. F…for saving me," Luffy said as he bowed._

 _"DAMN IT!" Ace growled, looking as though he was about to punch him. Sabo quickly grabbed his arm, stopping him._

 _"Hey, hey! He's just thanking you!" Sabo said. Ace looked at Luffy for a moment before he began to scold him._

 _"I don't get it! Why didn't you just tell them?! Those men are criminals who can easily kill anyone they want!" Ace yelled at Luffy, trying to get a sense of understanding from he young straw hat boy._

 _"But… If I told them, then we couldn't be friends anymore," Luffy said._

-o-

"You were right, Robin," Usopp said.

"Of course she was! That's my Robin for you!" Sanji said dreamily as Robin smiled at him. his antics earned him a slap from Nami.

"NOW IS DEFINITELY NOT THE TIME, LOVER BOY!" she yelled. Zoro snickered and shook his head at his rivals weak resolve when it came to women.

-o-

 _"That's better than dying, isn't it? Why do you wanna be friends with me? Do you know how much shit you've put me through after following me all the way here?" Ace yelled._

 _"But I have no one else to rely on! I can't go back to the village. And I hate the mountain bandits. If I didn't chase after you, I'd be alone. And being alone hurts worse than pain!"" Luffy roared back at him, surprising Ace._

-o-

The others looked on sadly at their captain.

"It's… true. I don't think we've seen him really hang out with anyone his age," Usopp said.

"Luffy…," Nami said quietly and tearfully. She had Nojiko as she grew up. Luffy's own grandfather barely took care of him, it seemed. Her heart went out to him - wishing she could just hug him and make his pain go away, let him know that he had friends that loved him now - friends he could rely on.

Robin could tell where Luffy was coming from - feeling the same way for most of her life. It wasn't until she met Luffy and the Straw Hats that she felt as though she had finally found her place in the world (although, there was undoubtedly an adjusting period).

Brook closed his eye sockets as the words left Luffy's mouth. With 50 years spent in isolation, he knew what it felt like to be alone - to not have anyone else to rely on or call a friend. It was much tougher for Luffy as a child - he needed interaction with his peers for development as a human being.

Chopper looked on sadly as Luffy said that. He knew where Luffy was coming from, much like Robin. Before he ate the Human-Human Fruit, he was ostracized from his herd of reindeer because of his blue nose. After he ate it, he couldn't talk with humans because they all considered him a monster. Until he met Dr. Hirluk, he had no one. Even then, it was a father-son relationship. He didn't feel as though he had friends until Luffy brought him on board the Going Merry.

Sanji was in the same boat. He had peers on the Baratie, but until he joined Luffy and the crew, he didn't have anyone that he really could call a friend. Zeff was a father figure and mentor, but not exactly someone that he could have sailed with. He knew the pain of nothing having someone to share in his joys and sorrows.

Franky had his bros back on Water 7 that he cared for and loved deeply. He never felt as though he was alone - but it startled him how quickly he fell in with the Straw Hats. The atmosphere was so far removed from Water 7, he might've hitched a ride with aliens to another planet. These guys were now his best of friends - and he would lay his life down for each of them.

The words touched Usopp as profoundly as they did the others. He had the Usopp Pirates who were his friends and comrades - as well as Kaya, who he got along with very well. There wasn't anyone like Luffy or the others in the village, though - and although he missed them, he wouldn't give up his current life for anything.

Zoro closed his eye at Luffy's cry. At the dojo, he didn't spend much time becoming friends with anyone - he was solely dedicated to and focused on becoming the worlds greatest swordsmen. He often interacted with Kuina - mostly through their matches - as well as her father, but he didn't hang out with the other children. If he wasn't sleeping, he was training; if he wasn't training, he was challenging people; if he wasn't challenging them, he was asleep.

-o-

 _"What about your parents?" Ace asked._

 _"Just grandpa," Luffy said._

 _"So if I'm with you, then it doesn't hurt. And if I'm gone, it'd be a problem for you?" Ace asked quietly._

 _"That's right," Luffy replied._

 _"You want me… to live?" Ace asked, still quiet._

 _"Of course!" Luffy replied._

-o-

The Straw Hats saw Aces face change ever so subtly - as though a wall had been broken down, revealing the soft interior.

"I think we might be seeing a change in Ace soon," Robin said, smiling. Perhaps not at the very moment, but she thought that this incident would be the beginning of the turning point in their relationship.

-o-

 _"Huh. But I hate spoiled brats like you, you know," Ace said with a sigh._

 _"I'm not a spoiled brat! I'm strong!" Luffy yelled back._

 _"Strong? What's strong about you? You're a boy, but you cry like a baby girl!" Ace sneered._

 _"You ever been punched by a spiked glove? I'm seven years old. When I get to be 10 like you, I won't ever cry, and I'll be even stronger," Luffy yelled._

 _"I never cried, even when I was 7, dumbass! Don't lump me in with you!" Ace yelled back. The two were having their first brotherly rivalry._

-o-

"Intent on surpassing each other, even at a young age," Robin said.

"That applies to Luffy more than Ace. Remember what he said? He could never beat Ace when they were younger," Usopp said.

-o-

 _"I'm gonna become stronger than anyone! Because I promised Shanks, I'd become King of the Pirates!" Luffy yelled._

 _"A pirate?! You?!" Ace replied. Their heads were touching as they seethed at each other._

 _"By the way, you guys… I have a little problem here. I've lived in this trash heap all my life. But from now on, all three of us are going to be targeted by pirates. So, I'll be moving in with you," Sabo said, making the decision for everyone._

-o-

"Looks like this kid takes after Ace and Luffy. Making decisions instead of asking permission," Nami said, smiling.

"I still wonder who he is, though. And why Luffy's never mentioned him to us. Their not blood brothers, but it seems like he and Ace were pretty close," Usopp wondered.

"We'll likely find out as we continue watching the memories play out," Sanji said.

The memory shifted again, and they were at Dadan's house.

-o-

 _"WHAT THE HELL IS THE MEANING OF THIS?! ACE! LUFFY! WHO IS THAT?! WHY IS THERE ANOTHER OF YOU RUGRATS HERE?!" Dadan yelled._

 _"Yo! You're Dadan, right? I'm Sabo," Sabo said, shaking her hand._

 _"Sabo! I know that name. I've heard that you're a troublemaker!" Dadan yelled._

 _"Oh, really? Well, I've heard you're quite the old hag yourself!" Sabo replied with a grin._

-o-

"Probably not the best way to talk to your caretaker," Robin said, smiling at the bluntness of the boy.

"It's banditspeak," Zoro observed.

"Banditspeak?" Chopper asked curiously.

"Different groups have their own way of talking and interacting," Zoro said, not taking his eye off the memory.

-o-

 _Ace, Sabo, and Luffy were inseparable from that point on - raising hell as brothers do. Each cared deeply for the other and made each other better. They spent their time fighting wild animals in the jungle, villains in the Gray Terminal, and pirates in the inlet. In not a long time, their names became known throughout the Goa Kingdom._

-o-

"Those monsters are HUGE!" Usopp and Chopper shouted in unison as they witnessed Ace, Sabo, and Lucy slay and cook an alligator.

"Jeez. They're pretty young, but these kids are the real monsters here," Nami said, impressed but frightened at what they were able to achieve at such a young age.

"I must say, I'm quite impressed. They each made the best of the situation they were in, and they care very deeply for each other," Robin said. Nami noticed a sad smile on her face and put her arm around her, giving her a warm smile. Robin touched her hand and leaned in, happy that her captain had found peace in his early years and wasn't doomed to walk alone.

She did have an uneasy feeling about Sabo - not in a negative way, but in that something might've happened to him - something that made Luffy not want to talk about him. She couldn't blame her captain - after all, she told the others about her past in its entirety when she was on the cusp of the end.

Zoro and Sanji were both grinning wide at their captain and his friends. Even from a young age, Luffy was a hellraiser, continually pushing himself by fighting the biggest and baddest thing that he could find. Ace and Sabo had his back, and he had theirs - inseparable brothers.

Franky and Brook were crying alongside Usopp and Chopper, who joined in - all four happy beyond words that their captain had found his place with two de facto brothers.

"It warms my heart to see our captain so happy… IF I HAD ONE! YOHOHOHOHO!" Brook cried out.

"I hear ya, man! I hear ya! It's just… so beautiful!" Franky said through his tears.

"Awww, captain!" Usopp cried out.

"We're so… happy for you!" Chopper added. Nami and Robin couldn't help but smile at the reaction of the boys.

The memory changed again. Ace, Sabo, and Luffy were standing in a clearing, training.

"This should be good," Zoro and Sanji said in unison. They looked sideways at each other, eyes narrowing.

"You copying me?" they said in unison to each other. Pause.

"Stop that!" again, in unison.

"I'm not doing it! You are! Stop it! I said stop! Damn it, you wanna go?!" they said - still, surprisingly, in unison.

"You two have been spending wayyyy too much time together," Nami said, slightly unnerved by how perfectly in sync they were. With one more nasty look at each other, they turned back to the memory.

-o-

 _Luffy was winding up his arm, ready to throw a punch._

 _"GUM GUM PISTOL!" Luffy roared. The punch ended up going at the ground, rebounding, and hitting Luffy in the face._

-o-

Everyone burst into laughter at that.

"Oh, God!" Franky cried as he clutched his sides.

"Oh, captain… you're too funny," Brook said as he was on all fours, pounding the ground with a bony fist, unable to keep it in.

"That's gotta be the greatest thing I've ever seen," Usopp said as he tried to hold back a laugh, but failed. He loved Luffy like a brother - and this was one of the reasons why.

"It appears as though Luffy still doesn't have control over his powers yet. Quite adorable, I think," Robin said, giggling.

"I'm adorable too, Robin dear!" Sanji told her. Zoro rolled his eye at the comment but snickered at the memory as well. Luffy obviously still had a long way to go before he became the man that could stand up to the World Government unflinchingly.

"So cute," Nami cooed and giggled as she saw the punch rebound back into his face.

-o-

 _"What do you think you're doing?!" Ace yelled as he gave Luffy a missile dropkick right across his face. Luffy went flying into a tree as Sabo updated the scoreboard._

 _"And match! Ace is the winner!" he said. Each brother fought 100 rounds per day. Ace beat Luffy 50 times and Sabo 26 times. Meanwhile, Sabo beat Ace 24 times and Luffy 50 times. Luffy was so far 0-100._

 _"Is that ability of yours any good?" Ace asked, exasperated._

 _"Ugh… it's not working properly yet! Once I get this attack working how it should, you guys won't know what hit you, alright!?" Luffy yelled, still flipped over._

 _"One more round!" he yelled as he got back up, steaming. He refused to go down like this._

 _"Sorry, but it's only 100 rounds per day, per person. You can try again tomorrow," Ace said._

-o-

"Man, that's intense. They're pretty young and already fighting a hundred times a day," Franky said, surprised by their training regiment.

"This certainly explains Luffy's high tolerance for pain and his strength. It's surprisingly intense for someone so young," Robin commented.

Zoro looked on in interest. He had fought Kuina 2,001 times and lost each one - and he had fought his other classmates to many times to count. He knew that Luffy was a monster, but didn't know how he trained to become one - and now he had an inkling of an idea. Fighting Ace and Sabo and the rest of the monsters in the Goa Kingdom was undoubtedly an excellent way for him to train; it explained why he was so unflinching when it came to fighting - because those animals and monsters were humongous, to the point that he didn't need to fear anything by the time he left.

Zoro wondered how Luffy handled the losses on a personal level. He knew that while he was stronger than almost everyone in the dojo he trained in, the losses to Kuina overtook everything else - the mark they left on him was far more significant than all the victories that he had earned. Every foe that he had been up against, he had overcome - except, at this point, Hawkeye and Kuina. He wondered how this would all change after he surpassed his tutor of two years?

As if understanding what he was thinking, Robin answered.

"It's amazing how well Luffy got along with Ace. One would think, after losing to someone so much, they would bear even the slightest bit of a grudge. But not Luffy," she said, smiling at her captain. His heart was indeed a kind and gentle one - unable to bear a grudge against anyone at all (or, rather, for very long).

-o-

 _"As usual, Luffy lost to Ace and me 50 times each. Ace and I are 24-26, to Ace. Damn it… next time, I'll beat you, Ace," Sabo said._

 _"WELL, WHEN I'M 10, I'LL BEAT BOTH OF YOU UP!" Luffy exclaimed vigorously._

 _"When you're 10, we'll be thirteen. Come on, let's go catch dinner," Ace said lamely. The three boys picked themselves up and went over a riverbank where crocodiles were lounging lazily. They licked their lips excitedly and grinned down on the reptiles._

-o-

"Well, this can only end one way," Nami deadpanned.

"It's gotta be better than whatever he serves up," Zoro said as he stuck his thumb at Sanjo.

"What did you say, mosshead?!" Sanji exclaimed, getting in Zoro's face.

"You heard me!" Zoro retorted. They glared at each other for a moment before turning back to the memory.

-o-

 _"Crocodile sure is tasty," Luffy said, holding his pipe like Ace and Sabo._

 _"Try not to get eaten this time, alright Luffy? It was blind luck that it swallowed you whole last time!" Sabo said with a grin._

 _They all leaped down into the killing grounds with gusto and excitement, the smiles never once leaving their faces._

 _"Nice one!" Sabo exclaimed to Luffy, who bashed the crocodile hard on the head. Sabo and Ace joined in; the other crocodiles began to comically back away in fear._

-o-

"Man, these kids are monsters!" Franky exclaimed.

"Even the monsters are afraid of them!" Chopper exclaimed, slightly terrified at how powerful the three brothers were.

"You know, considering how strong he is, I'm surprised he lets us push him around so much," Usopp said as he looked on.

"He sees us as a family more so than friends. Most captains would have us killed if we talked or treated them like we do Luffy. He loves us dearly, though," Robin said with a smile. The others grinned at the statement; beyond all else, they knew that to be true. It deepened their resolve to help Luffy through this ordeal.

The memory changed again; the three were walking around the Gray Terminal again.

"Why do they keep coming back here?" Nami asked uneasily as she saw all the trash.

"It's here, Luffy's village, the jungle, or Dadan's house," Zoro replied.

"Why can't they just go to the village, then?!" Nami asked.

"Probably too boring," Usopp said.

-o-

 _A mysterious figure was wobbling through the Gray Terminal, towards the Great Gate - a might and large gate in the middle of a large, impassable, stone wall. This gate was only opened when trash from the city needed to be brought out to the Gray Terminal - twice a day. The routine was a great deal amongst people - who immediately began to scrounge around, looking for any valuables they might be able to find. This was what they considered their treasure - and it was the life that they were used to. Food, clothes, gold - anything they could get their hands on._

 _Occasionally, they would gather up enough recycled goods and head into the city to sell them - yet none thought to actually live in the city._

 _The mysterious figure entered the Gate and was stopped by a guard._

 _"Stop. What's your business here?" the guard asked, suspicious -as he was of everyone that entered._

 _"It's crocodile skin. I'm going to go sell it," the figure replied. The guard allowed them to pass and they began to make their way around the city, which was a far cry from the Gray Terminal and indeed the rest of the village._

 _The Goa Kingdom was set up in such a way: on the edge of the island, on the harbor was Fuchsia Village - Luffy's hometown. Ascending into the hills was Mt. Colbo, the homeplace of the Dadan Family of bandits. Slightly southwest of that was the Gray Terminal - or the trash heap. West of the Gray Terminal was the wall that encircled the capital of the Goa Kingdom. The wall began and ended on the edge of a beach. Entering the wall, one came to the outskirts - a still dangerous place of the Kingdom, although safer than the Terminal. Moving further west, one would come to the Central District - a respectable place in the Kingdom, one that was clean. Beyond that was the Elite District and the Palace - the cleanest of all. The Kingdom itself was considered to be the cleanest place in the East Blue, as well as the most beautiful._

 _"Oi, you're from the trash heap, ain'tcha?" asked a hoodlum, stopping the mysterious figure._

 _"What's that you got there? Let's see it!" another asked. The mysterious figure was now in the outskirts - still not safe._

 _Suddenly, the jacket opened - and three children popped out, each with a sure smile on their face._

-o-

"Of course it's them. Who else would it be?" Nami said, exasperated but smiling at their ingenuity.

"Man, what's up with that wall?" Usopp asked.

"It separates the capital of the kingdom from the Gray Terminal. The 'elite' don't like to mix with the others," Robin said, ending in a scathing tone. The others nodded.

-o-

 _"No! Not them!" one of the hoodlums cried out as they saw Luffy, Ace, and Sabo._

-o-

"Looks like our little captain is famous," Robin said fondly.

"Little hellraisers," Nami said, smiling at the antics the kids were getting up to.

"You know, I can understand why nobody likes them," Sanji said, flicking some ash off his cigarette.

"Yet you can't understand why nobody likes you?" Zoro asked mockingly. They began to go at each other, missing some of the memory.

-o-

 _The three leaped out of a building that they had entered, shooting glass and splinters everywhere._

 _"Leave without paying, will you?! Somebody catch those little brats!" yelled the restauranteur._

 _"Man, that was good!" Sabo said, grinning wide._

 _"What'd I say!?" Ace yelled, grinning as well. Luffy, meanwhile, was still trying to scarf down the food._

 _As they descended, Sabo grabbed a flagpole and hung on while Ace and Luffy bounced off an awning._

 _"THOSE DAMN KIDS AGAIN! THEY'RE KNOWN CRIMINALS, WHY'D YOU LET THEM IN IN THE FIRST PLACE?!" yelled a police officer. Meanwhile, the three were making a break for it as onlookers angrily looked on - tight rods up their asses, no doubt._

 _"DON'T LET THOSE BRATS GET AWAY! SOMEBODY, HOLD THEM DOWN!" yelled the officer._

 _Suddenly, another man called out._

 _"SABO?! SABO, IT'S REALLY YOU! WAIT RIGHT THERE! YOU'RE ALIVE?! I DON'T BELIEVE IT! YOU HAVE TO COME BACK HOME!" yelled fat man wearing a top hat and an otherwise elaborate get-up._

 _Sabo looked back in shock and horror._

 _"Hey, Sabo! Someones calling for you!" Ace cried out as they all continued to run._

 _"Who is that guy?!" Luffy asked, still eating._

 _"He must be mistaking me for someone else! Let's go!" Sabo yelled, not looking back again._

-o-

"I get the feeling that Sabo isn't telling us everything," Franky observed.

"I agree. That man seemed fairly well to do. I wonder who he was? Perhaps his father?" Robin wondered.

"Looks like we'll find out now," Nami said, nodding as the memory changed and the three were back in the jungle.

-o-

 _"What?! I'm not hiding anything!" Sabo exclaimed._

 _"Oh, really?" Luffy asked._

 _"Don't be stupid, of course, he is! Let's hear it, Sabo! We shouldn't have to keep secrets from each other, right? Spill it!" Ace said._

 _Sabo was silent - giving Luffy and Ace carte blanche to get more hands on._

 _"JUST TELL US ALREADY, OR I'LL KICK YOUR FACE IN!" Ace said as he and Luffy comically choked Sabo._

 _"GAH! A-A-ALRIGHT! I'LL TALK, I'LL TALK!" Sabo said. They let him go, and he massaged his neck, wondering what the best way to go about this was. He was silent for a moment longer before he spoke._

 _"I'm the son of a noble," Sabo said, sighing._

 _"Who is?!" Luffy exclaimed._

 _"I am!" Sabo said._

 _A pause. Luffy and Ace both began to pick their noses._

 _"So?" Ace deadpanned._

 _"YOU'RE THE ONES WHO WANTED TO KNOW!" Sabo exclaimed._

-o-

The others were shocked by the revelation.

"A noble? That's surprising! Why would anyone want to give that life up?!" Nami asked, incredulous.

"Have you forgotten the Celestial Dragon already? Most of the nobles are like that, it seems," Zoro said, his eye narrowing. Nami looked down in shame a bit. Wealth was a contentious point for her - Bell-mère had done her best in raising her and Nojiko, but they were always a bit short. She had always wanted a life of wealth and luxury - a significant force in driving her to obtain the treasure. Her eyes misted at the thought of the things she said to Bell-mère during some of their last moments. Her heart dropped as she thought about what she would have to relive during these memories - Arlong Park, her stabbing her shoulder, and more. With a gulp, she brought herself back to the moment at hand.

"Indeed. He certainly doesn't act like one. Usually, they're far too afraid to do anything difficult or taxing - like walking through the Gray Terminal, fight monsters, or spar with each other. If he didn't say it, I wouldn't have believed it," Robin said, just as surprised as the others by the revelation.

"I love how they took the news, though," Franky said with a hearty laugh. The others joined in. It was just like their captain to wave it off like nothing.

"I'm surprised that they weren't more surprised," Nami said.

"That's Luffy for you, though. He doesn't care about where people come from; just where they're going," Zoro said with a small smile.

"That's true. I'm sure most captains are like that - in that, they don't care where their crews are from or what they've done in the past. However, very few are like Luffy in which they bring on those that they have fought," Robin said.

-o-

 _"The truth is… both of my parents are still out there. I'm not really an orphan, nor was I born and raised on the trash heap. The man that was calling to me was my father," Sabo said._

-o-

"You called it, Robin," Nami said, surveying the memory interestedly. Sabo was leaning against a tree, obviously uncomfortable at the information he just shared. The others were curious about how Luffy and Ace would react further, although they had a good idea of how.

-o-

 _"Sorry I had to lie to you," Sabo said, shifting a bit._

 _"Well, if you're sorry, then that's fine! I forgive you!" Luffy said, smiling at his brother._

-o-

"You're killing me, captain!" Franky said as he began to tear up with Usopp, Chopper, and Brook.

"Such… a forgiving man!" Brook cried out.

"He's way too trusting," Nami sighed.

"If he weren't like that, more than a couple of us wouldn't be here right now. Would you have it any other way?" Zoro asked. Nami smiled at that as she shook her head.

"Not in the slightest. It's what makes Luffy, Luffy," she said fondly.

"It is one of his greatest traits - his compassion for people. Even those he defeats in battle, he respects - unless they're truly terrible, like Eneru," Robin said.

"Who is Eneru?" Brook asked through his tears.

"A megalomaniac. We'll probably see him eventually," Zoro said, cringing a bit; Eneru was one of his worst memories thus far in how he had single-handedly, and without breaking a sweat, destroyed them all.

'If I had Haki back then, I would've cut him up into little pieces,' Zoro thought bitterly.

-o-

 _"I'm actually pretty shocked by this. If you were into a noble family, why'd you end up in the trash heap?" Ace asked as he began to pace away from Sabo. Sabo looked down on the ground, obviously thinking about something. He waited a bit before replying._

 _"All my parents ever cared about was having an heir to protect the family status and fortune. They never cared about me. The way they saw it, if I couldn't marry into a royal family, I was worthless. All my days were spent to improve my chances. They fought all the time because they thought I wasn't good enough for them. There was never a place for me there. I was always alone, even though I had a family. The nobles scorn and despite the trash heap and the people there. But compared to that horrible elite district, it was a Godsend. My entire life was planned out, without any care about what I wanted," Sabo said scathingly._

-o-

"Is that really all they care about?" Chopper asked, looking to Robin for an answer. She gave him a sad smile and nodded softly.

"Unfortunately, it's been the case for a long time. There are a few Celestial Dragons and World Nobles - so there is a considerable amount of intermarrying. There are chances you would end up marrying a relative of yours, close or distant, just to protect your fortune and status. It's a doomed system - inbreeding will eventually cause them to die out, and then no one will be left to protect their status. That's why so many of Nobles and Celestial Dragons look the way they do - genetic defects from birth, which will carry into the rest of their lives," Robin said.

"What they do to people? They deserve it, I'd say," Usopp said coldly. The others didn't correct him - they all felt the same way to their own extents. Chopper looked at the ground sadly - no matter who it was, he wanted to help people. Robin knelt down and rubbed him gently, bringing his mood back up.

Nami thought about the life she could've had had she been born a noble - and if it was like anything that Sabo described, she shuddered at the thought. A life that she wasn't allowed to live how she wanted might as well not have been living at all - regardless of the trimmings that came with it. Freedom - something so paramount that the entire crew was willing to die for it - could never be bought. Otherwise, it would be no more than slavery or servitude.

-o-

 _"So that's how it is, huh?" Ace asked thoughtfully. Sabo looked at his brothers and got up._

 _"Ace! Luffy! WE HAVE TO MAKE IT OUT TO SEA SOMEDAY! WE'LL LEAVE THIS PLACE BEHIND AND GAIN OUR FREEDOM!. I want to see the world in all its glory and write a book about all the things I find. If it's sailing I'm studying for, then I don't care how hard I have to work! We've got to get stronger and become real pirates!" Sabo yelled excitedly._

 _"Ha! I don't need you to tell me that! I'M GONNA BECOME A PIRATE! I'LL BEAT EVERY LAST PERSON WHO STANDS IN MY WAY AND EARN MYSELF THE KIND OF GLORY THAT DREAMS ARE MADE OF! I'M GOING TO HAVE A LIFE WORTH LIVING! IT DOESN'T MATTER IF THE WORLD REFUSES ME! THEY CAN HATE ME ALL THEIR LIFE! I'LL BECOME A GREAT PIRATE AD PROVE I'M BETTER THAN THEM ALL! I WON'T EVER RUN! I'LL NEVER LOSE! I DON'T CARE IF THEY END OF AFRAID OF ME! I'M GONNA MAKE SURE THE WORLD KNOWS MY NAME!" Ace roared into the sky and out to the ocean. The wind carried his words throughout. Luffy grinned and came up to bat._

 _"I'M GONNA BE KING OF THE PIRATES!" Luffy roared. Short, simple, to the point. Ace and Sabo looked on in surprise._

 _"Huh?" they asked, flabbergasted - unable to believe if he was talking seriously._

-o-

Everyone couldn't help but smile at that. These three - restless, powerful, courageous. Each of them had the same goal in mind, but they knew only one could reach it - and they would be happy, whoever it was.

"These kids, man!" Franky yelled out.

"I love them so much!" Usopp cried, holding Chopper who held on as well.

"They're certainly not afraid to let the world know what they want," Nami said with a smile.

"They've never been afraid of anything," Zoro corrected. Nami nodded at that; he was right. Luffy - as well as Ace and Sabo from what they saw and knew - feared nothing. As far as they were concerned, the world was theirs to do with as they saw fit - and what they saw fit was becoming the greatest of pirates.

-o-

 _"Really? Of all the things you could come out with…," Ace deadpanned._

 _"Ahahaha! Man, you're one crazy guy! We'll have to keep an eye on you for sure," Sabo said with a hearty laugh. Suddenly, his face grew serious._

 _"Isn't it gonna be a problem if all three of us want to be captain?" Sabo asked._

 _"Yeah, that could be an issue. I always thought you were gonna be my navigator, Sabo," Ace said._

 _"What?! You guys should join my ship!" Luffy said._

 _"Well, we can decide that when the time comes. Who knows, maybe we'll end up forming our own crews. Anyways, come here you guys," Ace said as he led them over to a tree stump. He pulled out three cups and a bottle of sake that he placed on the stump._

 _"You stole some of Dadan's booze?!" Luffy asked._

 _"Did you know, if you exchange drinks, then you can become brothers?" Ace asked, grinning as he opened the bottle and poured them all a cup._

-o-

"Hear, hear," Zoro said, nodding wisely.

-o-

 _"Brothers?! Really?!" Luffy asked excitedly._

 _"When we become pirates, we may not be able to end up on the same crew. But, the bond of brotherhood we share will never die! No matter where we are, or what we do… this is one bond we can never break! Starting today, we…!" Ace began._

 _"ARE!" Sabo yelled._

 _"BROTHERS"! Luffy ended._

 _"YEAH!" All three yelled, grinning._


End file.
